Zootopia: The Hunt for the Bloodhounds
by Robin Hood 24
Summary: In Zootopian Wild West, bounty hunter Judy Hopps retires from the job to lead a peaceful life on a farm after the death of her husband. When a criminal organization terrorizes towns, the Sheriff turns to her for help. With the help of a certain gambler, will Judy put an end to this menace? Previous Chapter- The Redeye. Rated T/M for alcohol, drugs and references to adult content.
1. Chapter 1: The Bloodhounds

Chapter 1: The Bloodhounds

_"We are rough men... used to rough ways." _~Bob Younger

_Outskirts of Antelope City_

Darkness controlled the quiet expanse of land, as the full moon peaked its face from behind the clouds; hanging like a luminous pearl in the heavens, its silver light radiating the quiet plains below. The starry sky was masked from view by the same barrier that threatened to extinguish the moonlight. Below on the earth, a quiet breeze wafted through dry brushes of grass as a dirt road coiled through the fields like a slithering snake. The road widened as it escaped from the confines of the grass and entered the broken waste of the desert. All was still and all was quiet.

A well-dressed wolf sat upon his horse, his silver eyes reflecting the light of the moon. He was strong and sinewy, and his fur was colored that matched the brown desert. A long jagged scar ran from the base of his ear to the tip of his jawline, an injury inflicted by an old enemy. The wolf smiled at the memory. Once he got rid of the doddering fool, the world was ripe for the taking! After he healed from his injuries, he and his crew started laying the groundwork for their plans to become rich.

The horse took a nervous step backwards, snapping the lupine out of his memory. He leaned down and patted the animal, providing words of comfort. As the horse stopped its jitters, he sat back up, hitched up his belt, two colt peacemakers hitting against his black dress pants. He sighed, took off his dark brown, wide-brimmed hat with golden inlays that circled the headwear, and placed it in front of him on the saddle.

His ears twitched around appreciatively, as the calm breeze provided coolness. He felt his red bandanna move around his neck, as the wind threatened to move it out of place. The wolf exhaled quietly as he waited for the last glow of the lamp to disappear from the town in front of him. Several minutes passed, and the glow disappeared, causing the sleepy town to be enveloped in darkness.

He smiled. So far, the plan had gone off without a hitch. Soon, he and his crew would be inside the town, and out before anyone knew what had happened. The tricky part was waiting for the saloon to close, as it depended on when the last customer was over for the night. Fortunately for him, the saloon had closed earlier than expected, as demonstrated by the extinguished glow. The wolf looked up in the night sky, and judged the moon's position. He nodded slowly and brought his attention back down to the town. He stretched his neck, moving it slightly to the right, then back to the left. Finally, the lupine slowly reached down with his left paw and pulled out his pistol. Out of habit, the lupine opened the cylinder of his weapon, and checked to make sure that it was loaded. After he was satisfied, he gave it a quick flick of his wrist, and the cylinder snapped shut inside his gun.

After holstering his favorite weapon, the wolf gave a loud whistle and within a few minutes, the quiet night was interrupted by the thundering noise of hooves. Soon, five other riders appeared next to him, not one saying a word. The wolf looked next to him, at another lupine, this one silver furred, and murmured "Are we ready to go?"

"Yes, boss."

The leader nodded, picked up his hat and placed it back on his head. "In and out. I do not want any witnesses. Meet me back at the rendezvous point."

"Yes, boss."

"And Charlie?"

"Boss?"

"Any one of you boys get caught by the law out there… you are no use to me. Understand?"

The lupine swallowed anxiously. He knew the extreme lengths his boss would take to ensure the silence of others. He nodded slowly, his apprehension clearly visible. "I won't let you down, boss."

The leader smiled, as he reached out and patted the younger wolf on the shoulder. "I know you won't." He paused as he looked back up at the night sky. The moon was disappearing behind the cover of the clouds. The wolf looked back Charlie and gave a frightening smile. "Go get 'em."

Charlie nodded and urged his horse forward. As he rode, the other gang members broke rank and followed the wolf in a V-formation, kicking up a cloud of dust. The wolf smiled to himself, as he wheeled his horse around and urged it into a trot. This was going to be a good night.

As Charlie urged his horse to gallop, he was aware the remaining wolves of the crew was behind him. When they arrived at the sleepy town, the wolf ordered stop their riding, and to get off the horses. As they did, they took the lead rope of their own horses, and led them into town, walking through the empty streets. The gang moved stealthily, one paw gripping the horse lead and the other, lightly touching the pistol that was holstered on their side. They made a beeline towards their destination – the Antelope City Bank.

The guard on duty, a leopard, was an independent contractor, not affiliated with the sheriff of Antelope City. Instead, he was a simple farmer that had been approached by the bank and had been promised insurmountable of money each year to protect the building and its contents by serving as a night guard. The farmer jumped on the opportunity immediately, and armed with only a rifle, showed up at the bank every night for the past six months.

At first, he was attentive, jumping at every small sound, wondering if it was intruders. But as the days turned into weeks and the weeks into months, the guard relaxed, realizing that the town was quiet at nights as nothing of importance ever happened. It was there, at his desk, he was cleaning his prized possession, a Springfield rifle, which never left his side. On his desk, next to the cleaning kit, an overturned book laid, a result of his attempts to teach himself to read during the quiet, boring nights.

A creaking noise was heard, and the guard stopped his cleaning momentarily. He looked up from his work and across the room to the door, and saw that it remained closed. The leopard sighed and continued his work. As he continued, the creaking noise broke the silence, louder than before, and the guard ignored it, attributing it to the wind. After he finished polishing his gun, the leopard smiled, as he saw his own face reflecting from the smooth barrel.

The guard fell sideways, his smile still transfixed on his face, as blood poured out of his throat and collected into a small pool. His blue eyes clouded with death, as the leopard thudded against the floor, his head focused upon the opened door of the bank.

The wolf stood behind him, wiping the blood off his knife against the leopard's clothes. After he was done, he looked up and gave another small whistle. The remaining four wolves moved quietly into the bank, all donned with cowboy hats, bandanas and several large wooden crates. Charlie looked at the dead guard and back at his killer and smiled approvingly, "Good work, Dagger," he whispered as he turned his attention back to the prize – a steel vault.

"Alright, according to boss, the bank manager has a memory of a rat. So look for anything, a book, a piece of paper with the combination for the vault. Dagger, take Victor and Minho, and check the dressers." Charlie ordered, pointing to the bank teller stations. "I'll take Ruben and check the manager's office. As the three lupines did his bidding, Charlie and the remaining wolf, Ruben, moved out of the room, into a small hallway and opened a door. They were greeted with a small room with a single desk and a small candle. Moving to the desk, Charlie threw open the drawers, riffling through the stacks of papers. He was aware that Ruben was on the other side doing the same. After a several minutes, Ruben whispered, "I think I found it."

Charlie smiled through his bandana and snatched the paper from the wolf's hand. After scanning the contents of the paper, he nodded. After several seconds, they moved passed the tellers' station and into a small room, with the giant steel vault. He spun around and whispered, "Minho. You're a better shot. Stay in the lobby and keep an eye out."

The white furred wolf did what he was told and left the room, holding his pistol up. Charlie turned back to the vault, handed the paper to Dagger and gripped the giant knob. He leaned in, his ear feeling the cold metal of the vault as he moved the knob.

"24…" Dagger whispered.

As the lupine moved the knob to the number, he was greeted with a faint _click_ as the tumbler inside the lock moved.

"32…"

Another _click_.

"2…"

A third and final _click_ was heard as the lock unlatched. The lupine smiled with victory as he took a step back. Reaching up to the giant handles, the wolf gave it a tough tug and it spun, releasing the latch and the door opened.

"Good work boys!" Charlie whispered exuberantly. Without a word, the four wolves entered the vault and got to work.

Charlie was placing the last golden bar, minted by the Zootopian government, when he heard a gunshot. The four wolves looked at each other, and seamlessly turned around and left the vault. Charlie did not even attempt to close the door, as he rushed through the bank and into the lobby, his pistol in paw, and a handle of the wooden crate, laden with golden bars, in the other. As the wolf arrived at the scene, he found Minho standing over a dead body of an elk, a bullet in his heart.

"Minho!"

"He walked in on me!" Minho shot back. "Boss says no witnesses!"

Charlie swore to himself and hurried outside. He could already see lanterns being lit and moving, a clear sign of the waking townspeople. The lupine turned around and started clambering on his horse. He had placed his feet into the stirrup, when the first animal stepped out of his house from across the street, armed with a rifle. Charlie raised his pistol, and took aim.

Dagger beat him to it. He had grabbed the rolling block rifle from the dead leopard, took aim and fired. The bullet sailed through the air and smashed into the stranger's head, and he fell without a sound. A scream of despair was heard from inside the house as the door opened and a woman ran outside, and shook the body of her dead husband.

The remaining wolves hurriedly jumped on their horses, and sharing the burden of the boxes between them, wheeled around, and galloped out of town, whooping and firing their weapons in the air.

The calm night of Antelope City was shattered by the piercing wails of the screaming woman, as the town woke up.

(/)

_Bull Run_

This is a letter written by Sheriff Robert Gordon of Antelope City, addressed to Sheriff Bogo of Bull Run.

June 15, 1825

_Sheriff Bogo,_

_I write this letter to you, as both a Sheriff and a Friend. I've had the misfortune to report this news to you, as Antelope City's Bank has been hit by, who we believe to be Bucky Callahan and the Bloodhounds. Witnesses say that they saw a lupine matching the description of a Charlie Vane, Bucky's number one man, heading in your direction. I know Bull Run and Antelope City is several days ride apart, but please, be vigilant._

_ Since the Bloodhounds are in your jurisdiction, I am afraid that I will not be of use. But please know, that if you need anything, do not hesitate to write._

_ I remain your faithful friend and brother,_

_ Robert Gordon._

Sheriff Bogo sighed as he reread the letter. After he finished, Bogo crumbled the letter angrily in his right paw and stood up suddenly, knocking his chair over. His deputies, a fat cheetah and a small antelope looked up quickly, startled. Bogo strode around from his desk and looked sadly at the empty cells of his one room sheriff building. The Cape buffalo shook his head, and threw the letter into a small tin can that was located next to his desk. He sighed and shook his head, slamming his fists on the desk with despair.

The fat cheetah nervously cleared his throat, "You okay, there Sherriff?"

"What do you think, Clawhauser?" Bogo snapped, as he whirled around. Gesturing to the outside, the buffalo continued, "The Bloodhounds came into my city and caused terror among my people! They killed good citizens and robbed the bank… and I…. I couldn't do anything."

Bogo sighed as he slowly sank down to the ground. Running his hand through his fur on his head, the sheriff spoke, "I have worked this town for far too long. But with every scum that I put away, two more seem to take their place. And now with Callahan and his Bloodhounds in the mix, no one can stop him." The sheriff shook his head sadly. His town was not the same as his childhood, for as it got larger, it attracted more criminals, and now he felt out of his league.

Deputy Clawhauser cleared his throat again and spoke up, "Well, I know of one person that could help us."

Bogo looked up at the cheetah and understanding what he meant, the Cape buffalo shook his head. "There's no way she would agree."

"We have to try."

After giving thought of the matter for several minutes, he nodded. "Alright," he said, "You and I will go talk to her. Pack up your things. It's a couple of days to the farm." He turned to the antelope and fished out the keys from his belt. Tossing the keys to his deputy, the sheriff spoke, "Keep an eye on the fort, you hear me?"

The antelope nodded silently, and resumed his to his pistol.

Clawhauser huffed and turned around. He walked to a pole, picked his hat and placed it on his head. "I'll be back," he called out behind him, as he pushed the door open. Bogo nodded and moved around to the desk. He picked up his chair and sat in it. He leaned backwards and placed his feet on the desk and smiled. The sheriff was feeling happy for the first time in a long time.


	2. Chapter 2: The Farmer

Chapter 2: The Farmer

"Fast is fine, but accuracy is everything. In a gun fight... you need to take your time in a hurry" ~Wyatt Earp

_The Farm – Outside of Bull Run_

_RUN!_

_I won't leave you!_

_ Run, Judy! Get out of here!_

_ NO! Please, NO!_

The gunshot noise echoed through her mind and Judy shot her eyes open. She was greeted with a paw on her shoulder, shaking her awake. The bunny groaned, rubbed her eyes and turned her attention towards the one who did the shaking.

Standing next to her was an obese hen, her once luscious brown feathers slowly turning grey with age. But despite the fact that she was getting in her years, her dark brown eyes glowed brightly and displayed wit in the light of the candle, she held in her wing. She clucked nervously and leaned down, "Judy? Are you okay, my dear?"

The bunny nodded and sat up on her bed, scooching until her back was touching the wall. "Just another bad dream."

The hen nodded with understanding. "Well," she spoke softly, "You stay right here. I'll get you a cup of water."

"Thanks, Henny."

As the hen turned around and started to exit the room, darkness crept in, joyfully capturing the spaces where the candle light once occupied. Judy watched as the candlelight disappeared past the door, moved her attention to the left side and shifted her body until her feet was hanging off the bed. She stretched and stood up, body protesting from old injuries, took a couple of steps until she was at the window. With a pull of the curtains, the silver glow of the moonlight shone on her face, making her purple eyes illuminate. The bunny sighed as she reached up and touched her cheek, slightly flinching as she felt a scar inflicted by a bullet wound. That scar was a bad memory for her, and she wished that she would never have to look at it or feel it.

_I wish you were here…_ She thought to herself, _I can't afford this farm anymore._

At that thought, the bunny moved her attention from the moonlight down to the fields in front of her. The crops were dying, a sign of a lack of water, harsh desert sands and the scorching sun. When she first moved there with her husband, the dirt was fertile, but now…. It seems the fertility was a thing of the past.

A creaking noise was heard and Judy turned around, expecting to see Henny with the candlelight and a cup of water. Instead, she was greeted with two young bunnies, both males peering around the door frame, dressed in nightgowns.

The oldest bunny, a spitting image of his father cleared his throat nervously and took a step forward, his white fur shining in the candle. "Mom? Are you okay?"

"Morgan. What are you doing out of bed?

"You were talking again." The youngest one spoke, holding his brother's paw.

Judy sighed and kneeled down, spreading her arms apart. Morgan put the candle on the nightstand that was next to Judy's bed and embraced his mother, making room for his brother. After a couple of seconds had passed, Judy looked at the youngest rabbit and spoke, "Samuel, everything is fine. You know how you have dreams in the middle of the night?" After the bunny nodded, Judy continued, "Well, I had a bad one."

"Was it about Virgil?"

At the sound of his name, Judy could feel the tears swelling up in her eyes. It had been two years since Virgil passed away, due to complications during childbirth. Judy had escaped death herself, but it was a miracle she left the birthing process alive. It was thanks to Henny, and Doctor Murphy who lived on a different farm, closer to Bull Run, that helped Judy stay alive. Suppressing her tears, she shook her head.

"Was it…. Dad?"

"Alright, that's enough, you two. You need to go back to bed, before your mama gets upset. Don't forget you have to get up early." Henny spoke up, relieving Judy from having to answer, as she rounded the door and entered the room.

Judy nodded. She kissed both of her sons on the cheek and smacked them lightly on their bottoms and both bunnies looked back, giving her a slight smile. Within couple of seconds, after grabbing their candle from the nightstand, both of her sons left the room. After they disappeared, Judy gratefully looked at the hen. "Thanks for that."

Henny nodded. "You're welcome. Here… some water and some medicine to help you sleep."

Judy smiled and took the medicine. After swallowing it and washing it away with the water, the bunny smacked her lips and looked at the hen. "I don't know what I would do without you."

Henny chuckled. "You'd be lost. You have the farm to look after and your rascals to keep up with."

"But what about you? Why didn't you leave?"

The hen sighed and shrugged. "After your husband rescued me, I felt an obligation to you and your farm. I was going to leave after he passed away because he was a kind, kind man. The memories that we all carry here was going to be hard. But after I saw how hard you took his death, I'd thought I'd stay and help around. You're a good animal, Judy, and I want to see everything you'd work for succeed."

The hen moved closer and placed her wing on Judy's cheek. "You gave me everything. You and your husband. That's a debt I would never be able to repay." The bunny sniffed and wiped a tear that escaped her eye. She nodded and thanked the hen again for everything. Henny placed her candle on the nightstand and turned around. "Now, will that be everything?"

Judy nodded. "That will be everything. Thank you, Henny."

The hen nodded and smiled. "I'd better go and check on your rascals. Make sure they are sleeping. If they aren't, they will get a good whipping by a wooden spoon!"

Judy chuckled and nodded. The hen turned around and left the room. Once the pitter-patter of her feet disappeared, Judy turned around, slowly walked to her bed, threw her blankets open and laid down on her back. Folding her arms, the bunny closed her eyes, awaiting sleep to take over and praying she wouldn't have another dream.

The sun peeked its head above the horizon, casting its orangey glow across the plains. Darkness ran away at the sight of the light, and within an hour, the illustrious luminosity of the sun entered her room, and Judy woke up with a start. The bunny groaned again and stood up, making her way towards her dresser, located on the far wall in the front of her bed.

After finding the clothes she needed, she threw them on and turned around, seeing the chest at the foot of her bed. Hesitating for a minute, she shook her head, turned around and left the bedroom. Outfitted in worn blue pants, a light blue button downed shirt and a red bandanna tied around her neck, the bunny looked to her right and saw that the door was open at the end of the hall, and she smiled to herself. _The boys actually woke up on time and before me._

Across from her, was another door, also opened and inside the room was a single bed, with a chest at the foot of it and a dresser. Some feathers littered the floor and the bunny shook her head. _Henny needs to clean her room soon, _she thought, _But I won't bother. She has enough as it is already._

After that thought, Judy turned around and with a couple of steps, found herself in a large living room. To her left, on the far wall, a backdoor stood, leading to the outside. Next to the door, a fireplace existed, with stonework acting as its chimney, leading the smoke to the outside. In front of the fireplace, a single couch and two wooden chairs sat. Behind the couch, a single brown desk with several pictures adorning the furniture.

She heard voices talking from across her and Judy moved, following the noises. Within a couple of seconds, she was in a different room, this one with a square table and four chairs. Behind the table was a long counter, with different fruits and vegetables laid upon it. At the counter, Henny worked, cutting and slicing fruits and placing them on a wooden plate. After she was done, she turned around, nodded her acknowledgement to Judy and placed the plate on the table. "Morgan, Samuel… eat up," she ordered.

The boys, with their backs to Judy did what they were told. Judy walked and kissed both of her sons on the top of their head, went around the table and gave the maid a quick hug. She grabbed an apple, and started munching on it. After a couple of minutes, Judy spoke up, directing her attention to her boys. "I'm going to take you, Samuel. We're going out riding and we need to bring our horses back. Might take us half a day, seeing as the ground is dry and the horses are far enough to get grass. When we get there, I'm going to teach you how to herd the horses."

The youngest, Samuel, nodded wordlessly.

"And you, Morgan," Judy continued, "Keep working on the ground. Make sure it's ready for the new crops."

"Yes, Mom."

Judy smiled and nodded. "How'd I get such obedient boys?" She mused to herself. Both boys smiled at the comment and continued eating. After a couple of minutes of silent eating, Morgan stood up from the table, gave his mother a hug, nodded to Henny and left the room. The back door squeaked open and close, confirming that the oldest bunny left the house.

Judy sighed and hit the table with her paw. "Alright, Samuel. We'd better get goin'. Daylight's burning here."

"Yes, Mama."

The boy left the kitchen, in search for his boots. Judy turned and looked at Henny. "You'll be alright here?"

The hen nodded, smiling. "I've got enough going on here to keep me busy. You worry about the farm and those horses of yours."

"Thanks, Henny."

Judy turned around and left the kitchen. She strode into the main room, grabbed her bag full of fruit and supplies. Hoisting it around her shoulder, she stood, waiting for her youngest son. Within a couple of minutes, she heard the clip-clopping of the boots hitting the wooden floors, as Samuel walked into view. Placing her paws on her son's shoulders, Judy turned and left the house through the back door.

The sun blinded her for a second, and once her eyes got used to the light, Judy moved towards the barn that was located in the front of the farmhouse. Arriving at the barn, Judy pulled the doors open, and went inside, instructing Samuel to wait outside. Eight stalls greeted her, and two horses occupied the stalls. Judy moved towards one of them, reaching up, she patted him on the nose. "Who's a good boy?"

The horse moved his head, and searched her hand. _Did you bring me an apple?_ It seemed to be saying.

Judy sighed, and reached in her pocket. She pulled out the fruit and the horse grabbed it, munching on it happily. She grabbed a saddle off the wall of the stall and saddled the horse. The bunny turned around and did the same to the white horse across from her. She grabbed the ropes and led both animals outside. Giving the ropes to her son, the bunny turned around and went back inside the barn. Immediately on the wall to her right was a rifle, which she grabbed. Judy strapped the rifle around her back, grabbed her hat that was hanging on the hook on the wall, turned around and left the barn. After closing the door, and saying her goodbyes to her oldest son, Judy climbed on her horse, turned around and urged the animal into a trot. After a couple of seconds, both Judy and her son was on the top of a hill, overlooking the valley, where the farm was located.

The valley served as a natural fertilizer as the rain from the mountains in the east brought the water down below by a series of creeks and rivers. But now, several months had passed, and no water had come, and it was starting to concern Judy. They didn't have enough money as it is, and couldn't afford exploring other ways to bring fresh water to her crops. Instead, she turned her focus to the horses, breeding them and selling them, hoping the money would be enough to feed her family. But as the days passed, different farms in the area surrounding her started to sell their lands to the railroad company, for vast amounts of money.

When the representative of the company, an aardvark, approached her about selling her land, Judy was adamant. She didn't want to sell her farm, the place where she and her husband put in the blood, sweat and tears into making it work. The place where she experienced joy, and sorrow. But with her finances getting depleted with each passing day, her strong will started becoming weaker and weaker.

"Mom?" Samuel spoke up, snapping Judy out of her stupor. He was pointing in a direction. "Didn't we release our horses that way?"

Judy raised her hand, shielding her eyes from the sun that managed to sneak past the brim of her hat and nodded slowly, observing the hilly land in the west. "There's a river that cuts across those hills over there, giving water to Bull Run. Any luck, we'll find our horses at the end of our property, over there."

Samuel nodded without saying a word. Both mother and son wheeled their horses around, urged them into a trot and finally a gallop. They rode up and down the hills, past dried bushes and some cactuses. Despite the sun in their eyes, Judy gave a silent prayer of thanks, that the cool breeze existed to combat the heat of the giant star. Mother and son rode, without saying a word, their ears upright and searching for the slightest sound.

Next to her, Samuel stopped suddenly. "Do you hear that?"

Judy listened carefully, as she didn't hear anything. Within a couple of seconds, the familiar nickering of the horses reached her ears and the bunny smiled. "Good ears, Samuel!" she praised, causing her son to redden a little. Both mother and son urged their horses again, rounded a hill and was greeted with running water and a field of grass. Six horses laid their heads down, munching on the sweet grass, satisfying their hunger.

Judy stopped her horse, and with a quiet movement, got off. Noticing that his mother was doing so, Samuel followed her lead. She tied the lead rope around the horn and gave her animal a small smack of her hand. The horse moved and joined the others at the field. Because Samuel was still too short to do the proper tying, Judy grabbed the rope and did it for him. After she was done, her son did the same, and the horse joined his friends.

"We'll let them eat, drink and rest for a few minutes." Judy spoke. She pointed to a tree that was next to the river, its low branches almost touching the water. "I reckon we'd do the same."

Both bunnies moved to the shore of the river. Kneeling down, Judy cupped her hands together, making a bowl, submerged it below the water and splashed her face, enjoying the sensation it made as it washed the dirt away. Then she did the same, but this time, taking a drink of the water, feeling the freshness run down her dry throat.

Samuel had already sat down underneath the shade of the tree. He was already fast asleep, his hat resting over his eyes. Judy stood up and measured the position of the sun. She nodded, pleased with their progress. Normally, it took two hours of riding to get to the field, but because of their efficiency, they had gotten there half an hour earlier. Judy wiped her hands dry on her clothes and moved towards the tree, where her son was sitting. She swung her rifle around her body until it was in front of her. With a groan, the bunny sat down, and moved her body until it her back was touching the bark.

After a couple of minutes of silence, Samuel spoke up. "Are you sure, you're okay, Mama?"

Judy gave a smile. "I'm fine."

Silence reigned the area. Sensing that her son wanted to ask another question and guessing what it was, Judy spoke, "It was just a bad dream."

"How did he die?"

The mother looked at her son, knowing who he was talking about. Thinking for a minute, Judy decided not to answer the question. Only she and Henny knew the true nature of his death, not her sons. She wasn't ready to revisit her past life, and if her sons knew about it, she was afraid that they would follow her in her pawsteps. Instead, Judy spoke, "Take a small nap. We have some work to do soon."

Samuel sighed, and obeyed. He knew that it was no use trying to pry information out of his mother. Instead, he moved his hat over his eyes again, and closed it, awaiting slumber. Judy smiled at her son and leaned back against the tree, and did the same.

_Judy! Leave, now!_

_But…_

_Just do what I say… Just know, I love you._

_Let me help. I can help!_

_ I know you can… but this time you can't. This is something I have to do on my own. Take care of our sons._

The gunshot noise shattered her dreams and she woke up with a start. The bunny groaned and looked at her side. Samuel was still fast asleep, and Judy stood up, taking care to not disturb him. She reached in her pocket and pulled out a pocket watch. Marking that only twenty minutes had passed, the bunny put the watch back, leaned down and shook her son. "Time to go. It'll take us a lot longer herding the horses, rather than just riding them."

Samuel nodded, and stood up. Following his mother to the field, the boy searched for his white horse. Spotting it, he walked to the horse, who was munching the grass contentedly. He placed his paw on the horse's body. The horse responded by turning and looking at him, his brown eyes quizzically searching the boy, _Time to go?_

The young rabbit nodded, and the horse swallowed the grass that he was chewing on. He climbed up into the saddle and moved towards his mother, at the back of the pack. Joining at his mother's side, Samuel looked at her for further instructions.

"Now, to herd these horses and send them back to our farm is a very easy process, but time consuming. You may notice that when we talk to them… they seem to…" Judy hesitated.

"Talk back?" Samuel finished.

His mother nodded. "That's right," she smiled. "When your father and I, or Morgan and I herd 'em back, we just tell them to go home. Then they will be on their way. But we have to be careful of the stragglers. We…" she chuckled softly, "Have a lot of stragglers with this herd."

"Now you stay here." Judy spoke, as she moved and positioned herself to the side of the herd. "Just call out, go home."

"Go home?" Samuel repeated.

Judy nodded. "Weird, I know, but it works."

The young boy looked back at the herd. "Go home," he called out. He was greeted with six horses, lazily raising their heads and looking at him.

"Louder," his mother encouraged.

Samuel cleared his throat and tried again. "Go home!"

This time the horses looked at each other, turned around and started to move slowly in the direction of the farm house. Judy beamed and nodded with pride. "Now go to the other side of the herd. We need to keep them squeezed in, so we can keep track of them."

Samuel nodded and did his mother's bidding, moving his horse to the other side of the herd. After riding for a couple of minutes, he was surprised to see how easy managing the herd was. But the first challenge appeared when a hill they had to cross showed up. With great difficulty, Samuel navigated his horse around the loose rocks and bushes, while making sure that the herd was still in formation. After fifteen minutes, the mother and son duo was able to encourage their herd across the rocky slope of the hill.

After riding in silence for a few minutes, Samuel spoke up, "Mama?"

"Yes, dear?"

"These horses are like us… right?"

Judy nodded, not sure what Samuel was getting at. "Then… why are they not like us? You know, walking and talking?"

The mother was silent for a couple of minutes. Finally, she shook her head. "Honestly, I don't know. Maybe horses didn't like how everyone else evolved, so they just stayed where they're at. They're content that way."

"But…. They talk."

Judy nodded again, "In their own way. But if you really know them, you can tell what they are saying.

"Oh…" Samuel spoke, looking down at the horse. He patted the mane with his hand and smiled. "Well, I like you."

The horse nickered and tossed his head, surprising the young bunny. _I like you too._

An hour had passed, and the passed its zenith and started to move westward. Some stragglers had left the herd, and with some encouragement, Judy had sent Samuel to gather them while she waited with the rest. After the young boy had gathered all the horses, he turned around and moved back to where his mother was standing. "Now, since we are almost home, this last hill will be the easiest. It's downhill, but it can be hard to keep the herd together. So I want you at the base of the herd, encouraging them. Okay?"

"Yes, Mama."

"You're doing great."

"Thanks, Mama."

Samuel wheeled his horse around, to the back of the herd. The mother and son rode for twenty more minutes, and as Judy kept her eyes on the herd, Samuel spoke up. "There's smoke… where is that coming from?"

Judy looked up at her son and saw where he was pointing. She gasped, "That's the farm! Stay with the horses, and do not move! I'll be right back."

"But…"

"Stay here!" Judy commanded with steel in her voice.

Not listening to her son's words of obedience, Judy spun her horse around and raced towards the smoke. She spun her rifle off her back to her front and smoothly stood up in her stirrups. When her farm came into view, she gasped with shock. Her barn was on fire, but there was no one to be seen. Instead, four animals, dressed in all black, with brown bandanas around their necks were shooting into the farmhouse, oblivious to the fact that Judy was thundering towards them.

She expertly balanced herself in the stirrups of the fast moving horse, took a deep breath, and raised her rifle. She was about to do something she swore she would never do anymore.

_Take a deep breath, aim and see your target, and shoot._

A gunshot was heard in her mind.

_ That's my Judy! _Her late husband spoke in her mind. _You're a good shot! With some practice, you'll be better than even me._

Pushing her thoughts out of her mind Judy squeezed the trigger, feeling the familiar motion of her ancient rifle kick against her shoulder. The bullet flew through the air and slammed itself through the throat of the bandit. He fell forward on his horse with a silent cry, his left paw, holding the gun, moved suddenly. While the bandit fell, his left paw inadvertently squeezed the trigger, discharging his gun and slaying his comrade that was sitting next to him.

Seeing that two of his own men fall in quick succession, the leader looked behind her, to find a bunny standing in the stirrups of her galloping horse, racing down the hill, her face a mask of determination. The bandit wheeled his horse around, and moved his pistol. A gunshot was heard and the bullet, with precision accuracy that was shown through years of practice, entered through his left eye, piercing his brain, and the criminal fell without a word.

The remaining bandit saw his leader fall, turned around and saw Judy thundering towards him. She had put her rifle away, and now was holding a lasso. She whirled it above her head, closed one eye and took aim. Losing his courage, the bandit spun his horse and rode away, past the farmhouse, in a desperate attempt to escape.

Suddenly, he felt his body fly backwards off the horse and crash against the ground, his arms tightly pinned against his body. His breath was driven from his lungs as the rope tightly tied around him. Whimpering with fear, the bandit stayed still on the ground as Judy moved towards the criminal. Kicking him over, the bunny hog-tied the criminal and with a grunt, dragged him towards the porch in the front of the farm house.

"I ought to throw you in there," she growled dangerously. She turned around and opened the doors to the house.

"Henny, Morgan! It's me! You here?"

Within a couple of minutes, a creaking noise from the kitchen was heard and the bunny and hen popped their heads around the door. Seeing his mother, Morgan whooped and ran towards her and wrapped her tightly. Judy smiled, returning the hug.

"I'm so sorry, Mom. I tried to fight them off…. I…"

"Shhh… It's okay."

Morgan pushed his mom away, with frustration evident on his face. "But it's not!" he argued. "If I wasn't caught by surprise, I would have gotten them. We wouldn't have lost the building. You know I'm a good shot!"

Judy nodded, knowing that Morgan spent every Saturday afternoon at his makeshift range, practicing. "You may be a good shot, but it's hard to take a life."

"Mama?" Samuel's voice called from outside.

Judy cursed under her breath. "Coming!" She looked at Henny, "I'm gunna Samuel in here. Take care of him."

Henny nodded with understanding. Samuel was too young to know what was happening. Judy turned her attention back to Morgan. "I'll need your help."

"I understand."

Judy spun around and headed outside. Samuel was off his horse and he was staring, wide eyed at the scene of death that was around him. The barn, with nothing left to burn, flames slowed down to a small crackle. "Samuel, come here!" Judy spoke.

Samuel nodded and moved quickly towards his mother. She turned and ushered him towards the farmhouse. Henny took the young son and pushed him inside, closing the door. With a sigh, Judy looked at Morgan, and spoke, "Put the fire out now. I'm going to clean up."

Morgan nodded and moved around to the back of the farmhouse to where they stored emergency water for situations like this. After several hours passed, scene of chaos never existed, aside from the burnt down farm building. Judy sat down in the shade of the porch, watching the sun slowly disappear behind the hill. She took a drink of water from her cup and as she dead, she heard a pitiful cry emit from the stoat.

"May… May I have water, please, ma'am?" the stoat bandit moaned.

Judy smiled, drank the rest of the cup, and slammed the base of the cup against the side of his jaw. The bandit groaned with pain from the action and looked back at her, with fury in his eyes. "You'll pay for that!" he cried, his voice quivering.

Judy chuckled, and leaned in closely. "Do you even know who you are messing with?" She asked. "I'm going to make sure you wish that you'd never had come here!"

The bandit shook his head, clearly not knowing who the seemingly gentle bunny was before him. "Who are…"

"Judy?" a voice called from across of them.

Judy turned and looked towards the direction of the voice. Sitting upon two horses was a buffalo and an obese cheetah. The two animals slowly got off the horses and strode towards them.

Sheriff Bogo looked at the bunny and at the bandit. He took a step back and saw the burned down barn. He put the two and two together and pointed at the stoat, a quizzical look on his face. "Yup." Judy affirmed.

"And the others?"

"Away at the Great Beyond."

Bogo nodded, smiling and sat down on the porch next to the bandit. He took a toothpick out of his mouth and chuckled. "You chose the wrong farm to mess with, boyo!" The buffalo chortled, smacking the stoat's head. "You see… this here farm…" he looked at the bunny, who was leaning against the pole, her arms folded. "Belongs to Judy Hopps."

At the sound of the familiar last name, the stoat moaned with fear, understanding what was in store for him. The west was full of stories about the legendary Sheriff, who cleaned up towns, and kept the gangs locked up. But when they escaped, he would travel with his best bounty hunter and tracker, his wife, Judy Hopps!


	3. Chapter 3: The Gambler

Chapter 3: The Gambler

_"There was something very peculiar about Doc. He was gentlemanly, a good dentist, a friendly man and yet, outside of us boys, I don't think he had a friend in the Territory. Tales were told that he had murdered men in different parts of the country; that he had robbed and committed all manner of crimes, and yet, when persons were asked how they knew it, they could only admit it was hearsay, and that nothing of the kind could really be traced to Doc's account. He was a slender fellow, but whenever a stage was robbed or a row started, and help was needed, Doc was one of the first to saddle his horse and report for duty."_ ~Virgil Earp on Doc Holliday

_Bull Run_

Bull Run was busy. The silver moon glowed, illuminating the dirt streets. Men and women of different species milled, chattered and laughed. Unsuspecting strangers were prone to pickpocketing children, knowing that they would never be caught. Loud music emitted from the giant saloon building, located at the corner of the intersection of the two main streets that ran through the town. The lone antelope deputy sat on his rocking chair at the end of one main street, clutching his own weapon, as he observed the scene before him. A scream was heard in the distance and the deputy turned and looked towards where the noise came from. Two men were pushing a woman down the street towards a house. One opened the front door, while the other grabbed her arms in and shoved her through. Laughing wildly, the men slammed the door, and the women's screams disappeared. The deputy shook his head sadly, there was nothing he could do. The town had become worst in the past several years, and it was just another evening of norm at Bull Run.

Out in the distance, underneath the welcoming arms of the moonlight, a lone rider gently trotted towards Bull Run. A faint glow emitted from the cigarette, resting on the side of his mouth as he took a deep drab. He looked up at the town, giving a small smile as the horse and rider got closer and closer. The rider navigated his horse onto the main street leading through town. Ignoring the chaos that ensued around him, the rider pushed his way through the main street, hitting drunk patrons and other civilians. He looked to his right, and noticed the Sheriff's station, and upon seeing the deputy on the wooden chair, the stranger rode up to the antelope.

Resting his gloved paws on the horn of the saddle, the rider spoke, a deep southern drawl touching his words. "Good evening to you, sir. Where would be the best place to spend the night?"

The antelope gripped his rifle, his finger hovering over the trigger. He sized the stranger, sitting on the black horse before him. The stranger wore a low brimmed cowboy hat, with slits through it, where his ears popped out. His shirt, a white pleated front wingtip tux shirt, was seen underneath his red brocade vest, lined with silk. The deputy moved his eyes towards the side of the stranger and was impressed with what he saw. On his left hip, a .38 caliber Colt revolver rested in his holster, and on his front, was another revolver, this one being a .41 caliber Colt. Despite the fact that the stranger was outfitted as a man of wealth, the antelope felt uneasy around him because of his eyes. The strong shade of emerald resonated calmness, but most of all… mischievousness, with a hint of amusement.

The deputy cleared his throat, and pointed down the street towards the saloon. "There are other hotels in the area, but none are nicer as that one down there. You can rent a room if it's available."

The stranger looked down the direction where the deputy was pointing, and saw a giant, two-storied, wooden building. In red, the name "The Pink Pony" was painted above the second floor patio. The rider turned back to the deputy, tipped his hat with thanks, wheeled his horse around and made his way to the building.

The noises became louder as the rider got closer and closer. Chattering mingled with music emitted from the saloon, as the stranger observed the building. Call girls stood on the second floor patio, chatting and fanning themselves. Once they saw the stranger pull up to the hitching post, they giggled and started calling after him. The rider got off his horse, took another drab of his cigarette, and exhaled, while pulling the roll out of his mouth and extinguishing it underneath the bottom of his boot.

Looking at the saloon doors, the stranger moved to the back of his horse and pulled out his jacket, a long flowing brown coat, which was a perfect cover against the scorching desert sands and the wild frontier. Before putting his coat on, the stranger took his revolvers out of his holsters and placed them on his horse. He then took off his gun belt, and after a couple of minutes of making adjustments, he placed the belt back on. Grabbing his revolvers, he placed the .38 caliber on the right side of his hip, and the .41 revolver on his back. He knew that some saloons carry a "no gun allowed" policy. He hated that policy, but in order to bend the rules, the stranger would give up his .38 caliber, but conceal his other revolver. Finally, he put on his jacket, and walked through the swinging doors of the saloon.

The bright lights of the saloon disoriented the stranger for a couple of seconds, and he couldn't help tapping his paw to the beat of the music. Patrons drank at the bar across from him, as tables were spread across the rooms. Above him, more animals drank to their content as they observed the scene below. To his right, in the corner of the wall, a pig, dressed in a vest and black dress pants, played the piano, as a woman, dressed in blue, sang next to him.

"Oh my love… Oh my honey… There is no place I'd rather be..."

The stranger ignored the singing and navigated his way towards the bar. Pushing a patron who was passed out on the counter down to the ground, he waited until the barman noticed him. After a couple of minutes passed, the barman continued serving drinks to other patrons, the stranger cleared his throat loudly. The ear of the barman, a sandy furred basset hound, perked upwards. The dog turned around, and smiled, seeing the stranger, walked towards him. Upon arriving at the spot, the dog took a rag off his shoulder and cleaned the counter where the stranger stood.

"What's your poison?" the basset hound asked.

"No poison. Just a room for the night." The stranger responded.

"We have one room available, but because I run a saloon and a hotel, I really don't want to have trouble. If you could, please leave your weapons in your room. You are more than welcome to carry, but… I really don't want anything."

The rider nodded, accepting the basset hound's terms. Satisfied with the fact that the stranger agreed with him, the dog continued, "Payment for the room is in advance. Will that be for one night?"

The stranger dug into his pocket and pulled out paper money. Throwing some on the counter, he spoke, "Several. This should be enough."

The dog's eyes widened at the stack of paper money. That was more than enough. Deciding that he liked the stranger, he smiled and took the money off the counter and put it on the shelf underneath the bar. He turned around and grabbed a key off the hook and tossed it to the rider. "Room 10. It's on the second floor and you've got a window. But if you're in the mood for activities, we've got poker, black jack and… entertainers," the dog motioned towards the brightly dressed vixens, huddling in the corner of the saloon.

The stranger smiled again. He nodded, gave his thanks and left the counter. Making a left, the rider went up the stairs and was facing a long hallway with multiple doors lining both walls. To his left and right, a railing stood in place, protecting patrons from falling down to the first story below. He took a step forward, and as he did, he felt a tap on his shoulder and the stranger looked to his side. A vixen, fur white as snow and bright purple eyes looked back at him. "Would you like some help going to sleep?" she asked.

The stranger sighed and slowly shook his head. "Not tonight my dear, but may I say that you look ravishing?"

The vixen blushed and giggled, charmed by his mannerism and southern drawl. She winked and turned around, heading back down the stairs and joined the group of women. The stranger watched her go, turned around and headed down the hallway. Once he found room 10, the rider inserted his key, twisted and was greeted with a faint _click_.

The door swung open inwardly and the rider stepped inside. A single window facing the side of the buildings across the saloon greeted him. Next to the window was a bed and a nightstand. The stranger looked to his left and saw a full sized mirror. The rider nodded to himself and continued to walk inside. Taking off his jacket, the stranger threw it on the bed, and pulled out his .38 revolver. He opened the dresser to the nightstand, put it inside and closed it.

He then took off his gun belt, pulled out his .41 revolver and shoved it between his pants and his shirt. The stranger then adjusted his vest, tucking it inside his pants, concealing the weapon. The rider reached inside the pocket of his dress pants, and pulled out a silver watch. Clicking it open, the stranger ignored the inscription that was on the base of the lid and checked the time. It was still a bit early in the night for him to go to bed, so the stranger decided to have some fun.

He turned around, walked out of the room, shut the door and locked it. Putting the pocket watch away, the rider walked through the hallway and down the stairs. Arriving on the first floor, the stranger noticed a group of four animals; a raccoon, goat, bull, and a fox playing poker in the corner. On both walls, two windows were open, allowing the moonlight through. The stranger smiled to himself, as there was a fifth chair. He sauntered towards the table and after watching for several minutes, cleared his throat and spoke, "Got room for one more?"

The raccoon turned around and saw a well-dressed animal standing before him. Slowly nodding, the player pointed at the chair across from him, in a dark corner speaking, "Seeing as we don't have any chips, buy in's ten dollars as we gotta use our money."

The rider nodded his thanks, moved his around the table and sat down between the fox and the bull. Pulling out the allotted money needed for a buy-in, the stranger placed the stack on the table between himself and the bull. The raccoon started to deal, and each player received two cards. The rider looked at the cards, pleased with what he saw.

The animals around him started to place bets, with the goat folding on the first round. The stranger pondered for a minute and decided to join in. The raccoon grabbed the deck of cards in front of him, and flipped the three cards. When he was finished, the raccoon called a raise, causing the bull to fold. When it was the stranger's turn, the rider looked at his cards again, cleared his throat and met the raccoon's bet. The fox, sitting next to him folded, leaving the stranger and the raccoon as the only players, with the pot being five dollars.

The raccoon flipped over another card, and the stranger heart thumped with nervousness, yet he kept a straight face, hoping the raccoon wouldn't read him. The raccoon checked, and the stranger, not needing to look at his cards anymore decided to bet. The raccoon raised his the bet with a smile. "I think you're bluffing, pardner."

"Am I?"

The raccoon motioned towards the center of the table where the cards were. "If you're not, then I'd call."

The stranger leaned forward, as the players around him held their breaths. The pot had increased to fifteen dollars with the raccoon's raise. After reading the raccoon, the stranger gave a small smile and leaned back in his chair. "Fine… then I call." With that statement, the rider placed his money in the center of the table, raising the pot to fifteen dollars.

The raccoon flipped the river and decided to check. The stranger followed suit and the raccoon showed his cards with a smile. "Three pairs."

The other players looked at the rider. The stranger leaned forward and smiled again, "You've got a good hand… But you need to play better. I've got a straight." As he said it, he flipped the cards over, and the raccoon looked back and forth between the center of the table and the stranger's hand. True to his word, the stranger did have a straight, and grabbed the money off the center of the table smiling broadly.

The group of animals played for an hour, all of them losing big and winning big. Money was exchanged as each and every animal was determined to bankrupt the other player. Soon, a small crowd formed around the table, watching the skilled poker players work their magic. Even the music stopped as the pig and the singer joined the onlookers. The stranger was a crowd favorite, cracking jokes and charming the onlookers with his southern voice and gentlemanly manners. The goat was the first to go, followed by the fox and then the bull, leaving the stranger and the raccoon alone.

"It's my deal isn't it?" the stranger asked, reaching for the deck of cards.

The raccoon nodded silently, fury burning inside of him. How did the stranger across from him keep winning? He was determined to silence the animal by bankrupting him once and for all, and this was the round to do it. He and the stranger had the same exact amount of money earned, twenty five dollars and the raccoon was unwavering in his resolve to win the entire pot.

The stranger dealt and placed the deck of cards next to him on the table. After looking at the cards, he read the raccoon's facial expression. It showed him nothing, but a second instinct told him that the raccoon wanted to finish the game once and for all. The stranger threw in a bet, two dollars. The raccoon met the amount and the stranger grabbed the deck of cards, and flipped over three cards, showing a queen of hearts, a four of diamonds and a four of clubs. After putting the deck of cards away, the stranger checked his cards again. Seeing that he had a King of hearts and a two of spades, the rider looked at the raccoon, narrowing his eyes. He sighed and put his cards down and spoke. "Fifteen dollars."

After the money left his hands, the raccoon immediately called and met the same amount. The stranger flipped the next card, showing a Jack of hearts. Keeping a straight face, the stranger knew that the cards were not in his favor, but maintained his posture. So he checked, and the raccoon did the same.

Finally, with the onlookers holding their breath, the stranger flipped the river, revealing a ten of hearts. The stranger looked up at the raccoon and pondered his options. Finally, a familiar thump of his paw hitting the table gave the raccoon a turn to make a bet. The animal looked back at the rider and slowly nodded his head. Throwing all of his money at the center of the pot, the raccoon spoke through the gasp of the crowd, "All in."

The stranger sighed. He was trapped. On one hand, he could fold and keep the remaining money because his bluff didn't work at the beginning of the round. On the other hand, he could meet the raccoon's call and go all in, and leave for the night. The raccoon sat in his chair, a smile on his face, knowing he had trapped the infuriating, bothersome stranger. "Your turn," the raccoon spoke.

The rider was silent, reading the dark eyes of the raccoon, hoping that the animal was bluffing. But his gut told him that the raccoon was being truthful. He shifted in his seat and opened his mouth to speak, while slowly moving his cards to the center of the table to fold.

A gunshot noise was heard. The crowd jumped as the noise shattered the silence like glass, gasped and looked outside of the window. The stranger did the same and saw a figure standing in the middle of the road, holding a rifle. Standing before the figure were three animals, a limping stoat, weasel and a ferret.

Forgetting the poker game, the crowd turned around and left the table, the raccoon looking at the cards and back at the stranger. The stranger looked back and shook his head, grabbing his money and shoving it in his pocket, walked with the crowd outside. After a couple of seconds, curiosity over took the raccoon and he followed the rider.

The figure was a bunny, their long grey ears protruding out through the slits of the cowboy hat, called at the three figures catching the stranger off guard with her feminine voice, "I see you brought some friends."

"Yeah!" the stoat yelled back. "I told you I'd get you, rabbit!"

The bunny sighed. "I gave you a chance to leave and told you that you'd be dead if I ever clapped my eyes on ya. Now, you have one last chance. Leave and don't come back."

The stoat looked at the weasel and the ferret and started laughing. "It's three against one, rabbit. Make your move."

The rider reached inside of his pocket and pulled out a cigarette and a match. Lighting his cigarette, the stranger leaned against the pole, interested to see where this was going. The streets immediately cleared as the bunny stood resolutely, facing the three criminals. A glow emitted from his cigarette as he took a drab, the stranger waited for anyone to make the first move.

Under the silvery glow of the moonlight, the weasel granted the stranger's wish. He cocked the hammer of his gun, and moved his finger to squeeze the trigger. A gunshot was heard, followed by two more and the stranger's mouth fell open, his cigarette falling out, and extinguishing itself in the dirt.

As soon as she saw the weasel pull the hammer, the bunny raised her rifle and fired. The bullet flew through the heart of the creature, and taking advantage of the surprise, the bunny cocked her rifle again and shot the ferret. The stoat watched both of his comrades fall, and before he could process what had happened, the bunny had thrown her rifle on the ground, pulled out her already cocked revolver and snuffed out his life.

Whispers ensued around the onlookers as they witnessed the scene. "That was fast." They all murmured amongst each other. The bunny picked up her rifle from the ground and slung it around her back. She walked towards a horse, climbed on it and headed to a hotel at the end of the street. Now the saloon crowd looked back at the stranger expectantly and he smiled. "I guess it's time to finish the game?"

He walked back inside the saloon, with the crowd following him and the raccoon. The stranger returned to his chair and sat down, leaning backwards. The raccoon sat across from him, smiling again. "What are you going to do?" he asked.

A few minutes passed as the stranger pondered his choice. A squeaking noise from the saloon doors were heard, and the bunny from the street walked in. She made a beeline to the bar and spoke with the basset hound. The hound shrugged and the stranger could tell that she was disappointed. Instead of leaving, the bunny turned around and sat in the chair in front of the bar and watched the two players. The stranger studied her closely and decided that despite her outward appearance, she was a fighter, as shown through the duel between herself and the criminals. The rider turned his attention back to the raccoon, checked his cards and sighed. To the raccoon's chagrin, the stranger pulled out another cigarette. Lighting it, he let it hang out of the side of his mouth, a faint dim of light emitting from it as he inhaled. After blowing out a small stream of smoke, "All in." he spoke, throwing his money in the center of the table.

The crowd talked amongst themselves as they watched the scene unfold before them. Bets exchanged hands as they picked sides to who would win the game. The raccoon smiled and flipped over his cards, revealing a pair of a four of spades and a four of hearts. "Four of a kind," the raccoon spoke, smiling broadly.

The crowd cheered, as the cards were in the raccoon's favor. The stranger's smile disappeared as he shook his head. The raccoon chortled with victory and reached for the pot. "I wouldn't do that if I were you," the stranger spoke, with a southern drawl stretching the 'I'. The rider flipped over his cards, revealing a King of hearts and an Ace of hearts. "Royal flush."

The crowd of onlookers went wild as the raccoon did a double take. Sure enough, the stranger had the flush. Before he reached out to grab the money from the center of the pot, the stranger felt a card sliding out of his sleeve and into his paw, it was his two of spades. In the middle of the distraction, he quickly slipped the card into the deck and reached for the money. After he was done, the stranger scooched his chair backwards until it was touching the wall, and keeping his eyes on the bunny, started to stand up. The familiar sound of the hammer clicking in the revolver was heard, and the crowd backed up nervously. In his rage, the raccoon had stood up, pulled out his gun and took aim at the stranger.

The stranger slowly sat back down, and raised his hands up. "I wouldn't do that if I was you," he warned.

"Why not?" the raccoon thundered with rage.

"Well… because seein' as this is a pleasant bar, we wouldn't want to spoil the nice man's evening," he pointed at the basset hound behind the bar. The raccoon looked at the dog and back at the stranger. "He can go to hell," the animal spoke, his voice quivering with rage, "and you can go with him. I don't know how, but you cheated!"

The stranger sighed and leaned back, searching for the bunny. She was sitting there, but had left the chair and was moving slowly towards the raccoon. The rider looked back at the raccoon and spoke, "Now you've gone and got the nice lady off her chair. She just finished killin' three men!"

The raccoon turned and looked at the bunny who had her hand on her pistol at the side of her hip. "Don't come any closer!" He spat, "You do anything, and I'll take care of you, when I'm done with him!" After measuring the petite bunny, the raccoon laughed, "I'll take care of you good."

Pain flashed across his stomach as the raccoon fell face first on the poker table. The stranger had raised his leg and kicked the edge of the table. The furniture slid backwards a few centimeters, but with such force that caused the animal to double over. The unlucky poker player found himself pinned between the table and the powerful arm of the stranger. Hot breath washed over him, causing him to whimper with fear, as the stranger looked down at his prey and looked back up at the crowd of onlookers. Making a decision, the stranger leaned down and spoke, "I was fine with you disrespectin' me, but I am _not_ fine with you disrespectin the lady. You do that again…" the stranger continued and pulled out the cigarette from his mouth. Placing the end of it on the raccoon, the unfortunate animal screamed with pain as the rider pushed down, causing his fur to singe and burn. "And you'll get somethin' far worse than this cigarette."

The stranger moved down closer until he was making eye contact with the poker player. The raccoon looked deep in the emerald green eyes and whimpered again, knowing that his words of warning was laced with truth. "Am I understood?" the rider asked.

The raccoon could only nod his head. Satisfied with his answer, the stranger grabbed the animal by his vest, and with a mighty heave, pulled him through the crowded saloon and threw him out of the building. Pulling out his pistol, he fired it into the air, causing the raccoon to jump and sprint down the road through the darkness. "And don't let me see you again!" the stranger called after him.

The rider shook his head and holstered his pistol. He turned around to go back into the building, but before he did, he noticed the antelope looking at him from across the street. Giving a small wave, the deputy merely nodded and turned his attention away. The stranger turned around and moved back inside.

Pushing his way through the crowd and towards the bar, the stranger winked at the bunny that was standing near the counter. Once arriving, he split his winnings in half and gave it to the basset hound. "My apologies for spoiling your night. This is to make up for it." The dog shrugged his shoulder. "Raymond was an idiot. He's always causing trouble and I've warned him against it. He'd never listen, so I guess he got what was comin' to him."

The stranger nodded and turned around and saw the bunny looking back at him. The bunny nodded her acknowledgement as her paw lightly touched the revolver on her side. "Thanks for that back there."

He shrugged. "You didn't need any help seein' as you could take care of yourself."

The bunny chuckled. "You saw that? Just a bunch of idiots set fire to my farm and decided they needed revenge after I gave him a whippin'." She shook her head, impressed with how the stranger standing before her handled the situation. "I feel like I own you a drink. What do ya want?"

The fox smiled, deciding he liked her. "Shot of whisky, will do." The rider sat on the stool next to the bunny, his right arm resting on the bar counter. After the bunny put in the order, she turned around and sat on the stool, prompting the rider to ask, "So…" he tilted his head towards the petite bunny. "What's a lady like you doin' in a place like this?"

The bunny hesitated for a second. Making a decision, she nodded and spoke, "Well, it turned out like this…"

/

_Judy Hopps' Farm_

"So what do you want to do with him?"

"Huh?" Judy asked, turned her attention to the speaker

"Him." Bogo gestured towards the stoat.

The bunny merely shrugged her shoulders. "Arrest him, kill him, hang him, or even maim him. I don't care… as long as he gets off my property."

Bogo chuckled. "Well, I could arrest him and bring him back to jail. Problem is… there's only enough supplies for Clawhauser and myself. He'd never make it alive."

"So what? Bogo, he set fire to my barn!"

"I know, Judy… but there's a process to this."

Judy shook her head with disgust and turned her face away, looking towards her own house. Through the window, she could see her oldest son, Morgan, peering through the glass. After she made eye contact, Morgan immediately disappeared from view. After a few minutes of hesitation, Judy unfolded her arms and turned around.

The stoat gave a small squeal of fear as Judy pulled out her knife that she always carried. The long hunting knife shone in the sunlight as the bunny slashed it downwards, causing the ropes to fall off.

Bogo and Clawhauser gripped their rifles with concern, and aimed their weapons at the stoat. Ignoring the action, Judy grabbed the stoat by the scruff of his neck and pushed him into the plains. Slinging her rifle around, Judy aimed it at the unfortunate criminal. "Take your clothes off." She commanded.

The afternoon sun beat down on the stoat, causing him to perspire even more. Not sure with what he heard, he took a step forward, causing the bunny to raise her rifle even more. The criminal raised his hands and spoke, "What?"

"You heard me."

"I'm not gonna do it."

Judy shrugged her shoulders. "Suit yourself." She took aim.

"Wait…wait…" the stoat chuckled nervously. "Maybe I was being too hasty." Within a couple of minutes, the stoat stood bare, with the exception of a pair of underwear. Judy collected the discarded clothes and handed them to Bogo. "A donation for the less fortunate."

Bogo chuckled as he took the clothes, keeping an eye at the unfortunate criminal. "I think this fella is less fortunate that the ones in my town."

"I don't care." Turning back to the stoat, Judy spoke, "It took me roughly three minutes to get from the top of that hill, yonder, to here on horseback. I'm gunna give you a fightin' chance even though you and your scum don't deserve it…."

The stoat, quivering with rage and humiliation cut her off, "I'm gonna get you rabbit! I promise!"

A smack from Clawhauser's heavy paw shut him up. Judy nodded her thanks and turned back. "Like I was sayin… a fighting chance. You have five minutes to get up that hill. If I see you, I'm going to get you…" She grabbed the stoat and forced him to look at her in the eyes. "And you've seen how I shoot…"

The stoat nodded and stood up, trembling. Counting down from five, the stoat readied himself. Once the bunny hit zero, the criminal took off, leaving a trail of dust in his wake. Judy rolled her eyes, turned around and joined Bogo and Clawhauser underneath the shade.

"Now, Bogo… What are you doing here?"

"What? Can't I visit an old friend?"

"Not with Clawhauser."

Bogo chuckled and shook his head. "Cutting right to the chase huh? You were always a straight shooter, Judy."

"In my line of business, you'd have to be."

Bogo narrowed his eyes, giving the bunny a half smile. "A farmer or a bounty hunter?"

Judy looked back at the Cape buffalo. She stood up and slung her rifle around her shoulder. Squaring her shoulders the bunny looked at the sheriff, her jaw set. "The answer's no."

"But you haven't heard what I have to say."

"I don't care, Bogo. I've given too much to be here."

"I know, Judy… but I need your help. Please…. Bull Run was just hit by the Bloodhounds. Callahan was just there."

Judy slowly turned back to Bogo at the mention of Callahan and the Bloodhounds. Her voice quivered with rage as she spoke, "What do you mean?"

"They hit the bank. Made away with several gold bars."

"And you didn't do anything?"

"Judy… there was only three of us. Callahan has an entire crew."

"I don't care… You should have done something!"

"I'm here aren't I?"

Judy gave a grunt of frustration, turned around and saw the stoat almost reaching the top. She unslung her rifle, aimed, and after a couple of seconds, fired. The gunshot was heard and the bullet spewed through the air. It slammed through the stoat's leg and he fell down crying with pain.

Judy shook her head as the criminal made the craw for the final few feet up the hill. "You know what he did… I can't go back to that again… I… I can't."

"Judy… please think about it."

After spending a few seconds, she nodded her head. "Right… I believe you boys have overstayed your welcome. You know your way out."

"Judy…"

"Please, Bogo." She spoke, her voice cracking. "I can't."

The Cape buffalo nodded slowly. He put on his hat, turned around and climbed on his horse with Clawhauser in tow. Without saying a goodbye, they turned around and headed up the hill and away from the farm.

With a sigh, Judy sat down on the porch, lost in thought. A door creaked open, snapping her back to the present as Morgan sat down. The sun was already starting to disappear behind the large hill as Judy raised her arm, pulling her oldest son in closer. "I love you."

"You need to go after him, Mom."

Judy looked back at her son with shock. "Were you listening to me?"

Morgan nodded, resolve in his eyes. "You need to stop him."

"It's not that simple, honey."

"But you always said that we need to do the right thing. Catching the bad guy is the right thing ain't it?"

"Morgan…"

"Mom… Dad would want you to do it."

Judy pushed her son away and with fury, pointed her finger at him. "Your father isn't here. I am. I say what we can and cannot do. I am not leaving this farm and everything I worked for to pieces going after Callahan. Morgan… you were young, but you have seen it. We suffered, and lost everything."

Morgan slowly nodded his head, tears forming in his eyes. Judy sighed and pulled her oldest son into a hug.

"But Mama… by letting him go, you're only going to have people get hurt…. I don't think Dad would want that." A small voice appeared.

Judy sighed and looked towards the front door. Samuel had poked his head around the corner and caught a snippet of the conversation. "I don't know whatcha talkin about… but I know that if Daddy could help someone, he could. So why can't you?"

Judy spent a couple of seconds staring at her youngest son. She shook her head with awe and looked at her oldest. After a couple of minutes, she spoke, "This'll be dangerous. I won't be back for a long time."

"I can take care of the farm. Henny will be here too."

"You're darn right I will!" the hen had walked outside. "You're gonna go out and…" she looked at Morgan and covered his ears with her wings. "Catch that son of a biscuit!"

Judy threw her arms up in exasperation. "Can't I have any privacy?"

Morgan laughed and shook his head. "But Mom… Please… more people will get hurt if you don't do this."

The bunny sighed, pulled both of her sons in an embrace. "Alright… I'll leave tonight."

/

_Bull Run_

"Took me several days, but I'm here…"

The stranger whistled. "That's interesting." He had been listening, and not once touching his drink. Remembering it was there, he grabbed it and downed it in one go. After coughing to clear the burning in his throat, he turned around and spoke. "So… what do you think you're gunna find?"

"Honestly? I have no idea… I don't even know where to start."

The stranger gave a small smile. "How about One-Eyed Jack?"

Judy looked back at the stranger with confusion. "One-Eyed Jack? Who's that?"

"Oh… Just an animal who did dealings with Callahan in the past… Get to him and he'll spill the beans."

"How do you know him?"  
The stranger smiled, his mischievousness showing through his eyes. "Well... He was a gambling partner at one time, but now…" the stranger's voice trailed off. "He's… doing other activities."

"As what?"

The stranger shook his head. "I'd rather not say. But give him a scotch and he'll tell you everything."

"Thanks for the tip!"

"Oh… only one problem." The stranger spoke as the bunny got off the stool. "He's a wanted animal… Go after him and you'll find other bounty hunters are gunning for him."

Placing her paw on the holster, the bunny spoke, "So what do you suggest?"

"Get a good night sleep, and go after him with a clear mind tomorrow."

Judy nodded taking his advice to heart. She turned around and started to leave. On a whim she stopped in her tracks and looked back. The stranger was still sitting on the stool, looking at the wall. The bunny moved back and propped her paw out. "I've never introduced myself. My name is Hopps. Judy Hopps."

The stranger was taken aback. But he shook her paw and nodded. "Hopps? Any relation to Wyatt Hopps?"

Judy was silent for a couple of seconds. Finally she nodded. "He was my husband."

"Was?" the stranger paused. "My condolences… I had no idea."

"You knew him?"

"Aye… saved my life from a game gone wrong back in Deer Creek. The guy had me dead to rights but he stepped in. I've always been in his debt." The stranger was silent, then he spoke up. "Well… seein that you're all alone and I have nothin' better to do, how about we both bring in One-Eyed Jack? I think we'd make a good team."

Judy hesitated. It would be nice to have someone traveling with her, and to have a second gun. She wanted to say no with all of her might, but a second instinct told her that she would regret it if she had given that answer. Also she had seen how he handled himself with the raccoon and the same instinct told her that he could handle a whole lot more. Finally, she nodded. "Sure… we can meet tomorrow… What's your name?"

The fox smiled, his emerald eyes glowing as he raised his paw. "Miss Hopps, my name is Nicholas Wilde." The vulpine gave her a half smile and a wink. "But my friends call me Doc."


	4. Chapter 4: The Grave Robber

Chapter 4: The Grave Robber

_"If you find yourself in a hole... the first thing you need to do is stop digging." _~Will Rodgers

_Bull Run_

Nicholas "Doc" Wilde woke up with a start, as chattering from the hallway interrupted his slumber. The fox groaned, rolled over to his side and reached down to the ground, feeling for an item. Wrapping his paw around the friendly metallic feel of his watch, Doc grabbed it and clicked it open.

6:37

The vulpine shut his pocket watch and placed it on top of his jacket, which he laid on the wooden floor. He slowly sat up in bed and shifted his body, until his feet was touching the dusty ground. The fox stood up and stretched, but as soon as he did, he started to cough. The hacking coughs caused him to double over, and scramble along the floor, searching for his jacket. Continuing to cough, Wilde grabbed his jacket, ignoring the _clatter_ noise that the watch made when it fell. He reached into the jacket pocket and pulled out a white, smooth handkerchief. Placing it against his mouth and sitting back on the bed, Doc continued to cough. The bout lasted for few more seconds, and when it disappeared, the fox cleared his throat, clearing his airways of any phlegm. Wiping his mouth, Nick looked onto the handkerchief and his heart immediately dropped. Mixed with the spit and phlegm, was a spot of blood.

_Not again. _Doc thought, shaking his head. He folded the handkerchief and placed it back into his jacket.

The vulpine stood up again, and made his way to the door of the room. Nick grabbed the handle and pulled it open. He stuck his head out into the hallway, searching for the animals who were making the racket. The hallway was empty, and Doc shook his head again. He closed the door behind him, turned around and to the full sized mirror that was in the corner of his room. He reached down, grabbed his pair of brown boots, made his way back to the bed and slowly put them on. Once adjusting his feet to fit inside the boot, the fox stood back up, picked up his pocket watch and inserted it in the front pocket of his silky red brocade vest.

The nightstand stood before him, and the vulpine took one step towards it. Opening the dresser, he fished his .38 caliber Colt revolver and inserted it back into his holster. His .41 Colt revolver rested on the top of the nightstand where he had put before going to bed. Taking the gun, the fox put it in its rightful place in his second holster. The vulpine picked up his jacket and after putting it on, he grabbed his hat that was hanging on top of the mirror.  
Doc left his room, but before going down the hallway, he turned around, and closed the door. Fishing into his jacket pocket, the fox pulled out the key and locked the door behind him. With that objective completed, Doc moved through the hallway, making his way to the saloon floor below.

Unlike the rowdy evening, the saloon was quiet. As Doc made his way down the stairs, he surveyed the semi-empty and dark room. Animals chattered quietly and milled around, although no one occupied the poker table. The piano in the corner of the room was missing its player and no animal was singing. The basset hound was behind the bar, serving two customers, and Doc walked over to the counter. Picking an empty stool, he sat down and waited for his turn.

He didn't have to wait long. After the basset hound was finished serving a customer, the dog immediately spotted the fox. He smiled and instead of walking up to his customer, the barkeep turned around and knelt down. He opened a cupboard door and grabbed a small stack of money. The dog stood back up, turned around, walked to the fox and dropped the money in front of him.

Nick looked up with surprise. With his southern drawl, he spoke, "What's this?"

"After the incident last night, you repaid me with half of your winnings. It didn't feel right to accept payment for the nights," the basset hound responded. "So this is every dollar you paid me, back in full."

Doc looked at the basset hound and saw that the dog showed a face of honesty. He nodded slowly and gave a half-smile. "My thanks to you." He grabbed the small stack and pocketed it immediately.

"Would you like to eat something?" the dog inquired. "I only got oatmeal, and it's on me."

Doc nodded gratefully. "I'll have some."

After the dog left the fox, Nick looked behind him towards the saloon doors, waiting for the strange bunny from the night before to show up. He shook his head. _A bunny hunting down Bucky Callahan? Now I've seen everything_

The fox scoffed to himself softly, amazed at the courage that was inside the petite little animal. The image of her standing in the street underneath the moonlight appeared in his mind. He then replayed her confrontation with the brigands that dared to challenge her. He remembered waiting to see what would happen, then being amazed at the fact that the criminals were dead immediately. He shook his head and smiled to himself. _She's fast… a bit too fast for my taste. And if she was Hopps' wife, then she certainly knows how to take care of herself._

The dog appeared again, holding a bowl of oatmeal. The basset hound placed it before Nick and handed the fox a spoon. The fox nodded with thanks and started to eat, waiting for the lone bunny to reappear.

_ Today's going to be interesting._

/

_Bull Run_

The sun streamed through the tent flaps and within several seconds, Judy Hopps threw the blanket off her little body. She rubbed her eyes, urging the tiredness to disappear. The small bunny finally woke up, and from her position on the ground, stretched. Hopps sat up and looked next to her. She saw her boots, grabbed them and put them on her paws. She then grabbed with her left paw her rifle, and with her right paw, her holster with the revolver already in it. Within several seconds, the bunny was crawling outside of the tent. Judy had attempted to find a room at the several hotels in the town, to no avail. The bunny shrugged to herself. She liked sleeping outside anyways.

Once she was outside, she stood up and Judy groaned again. It was hot, but the heat wasn't unbearable. As she looked up at the sky, she simultaneously marked the sun's position and put on her gun belt. Once she saw what time it was, Judy cursed softly. It was later in the day than she wanted it to be. She slung the rifle onto her back and cupped her eyes, blocking the sun. In the distance, the town of Bull Run could be seen, as heat reverberated from the dirt.

A nickering noise was heard, and Judy turned around. After she met the fox, she had left the saloon in search for a place to stay. She found a giant lonesome tree and tied her horse to the lowest branch, before pitching her tent. The leaves from the tree made a perfect barrier, providing shade. Small grass grew around the tree, providing some food for the animal. Judy made her way to her horse, a dark brown palomino and once she got there, she reached out with her paw. The horse took a step forward and placed her muzzle against her soft paw. The bunny smiled and spoke, "Day one. You ready?"

The horse shook her mane and nickered softly. _Day four_

"Day four… Whatever."

_Give me an apple, and I'll be ready._

Judy rolled her eyes. "You've already eaten enough. There's plenty of grass about."

_Yes. But grass are not apples_.

Hopps sighed and moved towards the saddle that was laying against the trunk of the tree. She fished inside a pouch, with her horse looking over her shoulder with excitement. Overcome with impatient, her horse nudged the bunny with her nose, nearly knocking her over. "Okay! I'm looking!" As her paw found the fruit, Judy stood up and looked at the horse. "Alright, Breeze. Here you go. You better watch what you're eating. You'll get fat."

_How can I? _Breeze seemed to say. _You're the one feeding me._

Judy sighed. She hated losing an argument against her horse. She shook her head, and as she turned around to pick up the saddle, the horse emitted a nickering noise that sounded like laughter. The bunny picked up the saddle and put it on the back of her friend, and after tightening the straps, the bunny undid the rope from the branch. Holding it in her paw, Judy climbed back onto the horse. She gave the horse a small kick with her right boot, and Breeze started to trot. Once the plains of Bull Run approached, the horse started to canter.

The bunny closed the distance pretty quickly. Once she arrived to the border of Bull Run, animals were already milling. At the sound of hoof beats hitting the dirt, the citizens of Bull Run stopped what they were doing and looked up. When they saw the horse and the rider, they all looked at the petite bunny with awe. As Judy passed through the town, she became uncomfortable at the stares and the whispers.

"She killed three guys last night, I heard." A whisper to her right reached her ears.

"It's that bunny I was telling you about. The one who dropped three criminals within two seconds."

"Two seconds? That ain't right."

"Shut up! She's coming this way!"

At the sound of the chatting, Judy looked in the direction of the two strangers. She smiled softly and nodded her head in greeting. Immediately the two animals looked away, as they pretended to continue with their day. The bunny turned her attention back to her destination: the saloon. As Hopps rode towards the building, an image of the fox appeared in her mind. His emerald eyes and half-smile dominating the recesses of her mind. Immediately, she remembered his actions towards raccoon the night before and Judy smiled to herself.

_That's a fox who could take care of himself._

But she was more amazed at how the fox portrayed himself. Unlike the other patrons at the bar, the vulpine was more sophisticated, gentlemanly… and dare she say it… handsome. But it was his accent that caught her by surprise. She had never met an animal with a drawl. _He must be from the South_.

Once she arrived to the hitching post in front of the saloon, the bunny noticed a black horse standing patiently underneath the shade of the roof. Navigating Breeze to stand next to the horse, she got off her saddle and tied the rope around the post. When she was done, she looked at her horse and spoke softly, "Let me know if there's any trouble."

_Don't I always?_

"No. No you don't" Judy spoke aloud. She put her rifle in a small slot that she made in her saddle. Stepping backwards, Judy watched Breeze. The horse had moved her attention to the black horse was neighing. After she was finished, the black horse responded in turn. Judy shook her head with amazement.

The bunny turned around and walked up the several steps. Once she got onto the porch, the bunny pushed the saloon doors open and stepped through. Once she did, her heart sank as there was not a sight of the fox. _I guess it was wishful thinking_, she thought to herself.

Her stomach rumbled with hunger and the bunny nodded to herself. As she walked through room, she nimbly dodged the patrons. Before she arrived to the bar, a figure caught her eye. It was the fox! He had taken his hat off and placed it on the counter next to him. She smiled to herself and noticed that there was an empty stool next to him.

After jumping up on the stool, she spoke, "Good morning, Mr. Wilde."

The vulpine put the spoon with oatmeal inside in his mouth when he heard his name. Nick looked to his left and saw a bunny wearing a white shirt, brown pants and boots. Around her neck was a blue scarf and on the top of her head was the cowboy hat. He placed it into the bowl and swallowed. The vulpine nodded his head in greeting, his emerald eyes glowing. "Miss Hopps," he spoke.

Judy shook her head. "Please call me Judy."

"If I'm going to do that, then I must insist you call me Doc or Nick." Nick spoke giving her a half-smile. He picked up the spoon and cleaned the remaining oatmeal out of the bowl.

The basset hound walked back to the two customers and placed a bowl of oatmeal in front of Judy. Judy looked at the dog, but the animal said nothing and moved away. "I took the liberty of ordering breakfast for you, Judy." Doc spoke up. "I thought you'd be here earlier anyhow."

After nodding her thanks, Judy started to eat. After swallowing a spoonful of oatmeal, she looked back at her compatriot. "I was. Time got away from me."

"One of the symptoms of living in the West."

Judy grunted with agreement, which caused Nick to raise an eyebrow. The bunny looked over at the fox and swallowed. "If you're going to be traveling with me, don't expect me to be ladylike."

Nick nodded, raising his paws with surrender. "I wouldn't dare dream that you were a lady, Judy."

The glanced at the fox suspiciously, afraid that he would never respect her. But the look of genuine care was written over the vulpine's face and the bunny relaxed. Before she took another spoonful of oatmeal, she spoke. "So, Nick… How did you get your nickname?"

Nick chuckled and the chuckle turned into a cough. Judy looked sideways at the fox with concern. But after a few minutes, Doc stopped coughing, cleared his voice and spoke as if nothing happened. "Your husband gave it to me." At Judy's surprised expression, the fox nodded. "I was in Deer Creek working as a dentist. Wyatt was one of my customers. After I helped him with a toothache, he started calling me 'Doc.'" Nick shrugged. "And the name just stuck."

Judy only nodded in response. She finished the last couple of spoonfuls of oatmeal in the bowl. Once she finished, the bunny turned until she was facing the fox. "So about last night, I know that you volunteered to help me." She paused. "But I understand if you don't want to, us being strangers and all."

Nick smiled. "And like I said, I'm bored and I have nothing better to do. So I guess you're stuck with me."

Judy's instinct told her that she could continue to trust the stranger. It was clear that the fox had been truthful with her so far. The bunny nodded, pleased that she met the dentist. "Alright." She spoke. "You talked about One Eyed-Jack. Where can we find him?"

Nick shrugged. "All I heard was that he's got a bounty on his head. So we need to find him first."

"Where do we start?"

A twinkle in Nick's eyes appeared. "Why Judy.. I'd think you know, being a bounty hunter and all… the sheriff's station!"

Judy rolled her eyes. "I thought you'd had more than that."

Doc shrugged and smiled again. "Well…" he gestured towards the door. "Shall we?"

At the fox's response, the bunny immediately turned around and jumped off the stool. As Nick watched her walk across the saloon, the vulpine chuckled to himself. He grabbed his hat off the counter, placed it on his head and followed her out.

Once the saloon doors swung shut, Nick found Judy standing near a brown palomino. He whistled appreciatively, marveling at the sight of the horse. Judy looked back and saw Nick nod his head. "Beautiful horse you've got there." He said.

Breeze shook her mane. _Thank you._

"Thanks." Judy responded. "What about you. Do you ride?"

Nick nodded. He moved around the horse and stood next to the black one. "This one's called Midnight." Doc spoke, stroking his side. Midnight looked to his left and saw Judy. He nodded his head in greeting and nickered. _Hello._

Hitching up his gun belt, Nick nodded towards the Sherriff's station in the distance. He spoke, "That's it right there. You ready?"

"Lead the way."

The bunny and the fox walked across the dirt road towards the building. As they did, Judy noticed the animals, once again, stopped and stared at the strange duo. After a couple of seconds, she cleared her throat and spoke with a low voice. "I hate the attention."

Nick waved at a passerby, who quickly scurried away. "Get used to it, Hopps. You're a bunny. I'm a fox. We're supposed to be enemies."

The farmer looked up at tall gambler walking in step with her. He was still smiling, yet she could tell that there was an aura of authority and mystery surrounding him. Feeling a pair of eyes upon him, Nick looked down and Judy quickly looked away. Chuckling on the inside, the fox continued to lead the two towards the Sherriff's building.

Upon arriving at the building, Judy opened the door. It swung inward, revealing four empty cells. They stepped inside and to her right, a sleeping antelope sat, holding his rifle. Clawhauser, the fat cheetah had taken an empty mattress in one of the cells and to her left, Judy heard movement.

Bogo stood up from his desk as he saw the door open. He smiled once he saw that it was the bunny, but then his smile immediately disappeared at the sight of the fox. As soon as Bogo stood up, Judy spoke, "We're looking for One-Eyed Jack. Do you have any information?"

Bogo looked away from the bunny and watched the fox. The vulpine had closed the door and was leaning against it, his left shoulder on the side of the door, his paw resting on the .41 caliber that he had holstered in front of him. The mischievous emerald eyes glowed underneath his hat, as the fox gave a small smile in greeting.

Directing his attention back to the bunny, Bogo spoke, his rumbling voice awakening both of his deputies. "Can we talk in private?"

Taken aback by the question, Judy nodded and turned around. Nick, already hearing the statement, stepped aside from the door and kept his eyes on the ground. As Judy walked past the fox, Nick looked up slightly and nodded, allowing the bunny to step outside. Bogo followed, but he stopped in his pathway and looked over the fox, a scowl appearing on his face. The Sherriff turned around and looked at Clawhauser, making sure that his giant body blocked the fox's view. Jutting a thumb towards Nick, Bogo mouthed, _Keep an eye on him._

The fat cheetah nodded from his sitting position on the empty mattress. Satisfied with the answer, the cape buffalo turned around and followed the small bunny outside. Once they were under the hot sun, Bogo spoke, his voice filled with anger. "Who's that animal?"

Judy folded her arms she stared back at the Sherriff. "A friend." She responded, her voice steely.

"Are you out of your mind?" Bogo bellowed. "He's a fox!"

"A nice observation, Sherriff." Judy responded. "I'm glad to see that you're doing your job for once."

"I _am_ doing my job, Hopps!"

"If you were, I wouldn't be here." Judy shot back.

The insult stung the giant buffalo and he took a deep breath, attempting to control his rage. "But you don't understand! He's a fox. They're scum!"

"Not this one."

Bogo scoffed. "And how would you know?"

"Wyatt vouched for him."

"Wyatt? He vouched for a fox?" Bogo chuckled. "And how do you know that?"

Judy hesitated. "Nick told me."

Bogo threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. "And you're going to trust him? A fox?"

Judy had enough. She looked up at the Sherriff, anger in her eyes. "Let me be clear, _Sherriff_" she spat the title out, with ice in her voice. "You came to me and I need all the help I can get."

"Take Clawhauser! Take…." Bogo protested. He stopped as a dangerous twinkle appeared in her eyes. It was not just a twinkle. It was _the _twinkle and it was the same twinkle that caused her to become perilous. The bunny raised her paw to stop the Sherriff and Bogo trailed off. "I am _not_ going to take a fat cheetah, Bogo. I need to move quickly and Clawhauser'll only slow me down. Second of all, I've seen more honesty in this fox since I met him last night, than _you _ever would."

"Judy…" Bogo tried again. He stopped as the bunny shot him a look.

"Third of all. You're right. He's dangerous, but I'm good also. I think you forgot that. I can take care of myself. If he _is _scum like you said, then I will take care of him… myself. Is that clear?"

Bogo didn't answer, prompting Judy to speak. "I said. Is that clear?"

The disgraced Sherriff nodded his head. "Yes." He responded meekly.

"Good." Judy spoke. "Now about One-Eyed Jack. I hear you have a bounty for his head. Doc and I want it. Where's he?"

Unsure of whether to talk or not, Bogo finally reached a decision. "Hanging Rock. Day's ride from here."

"Why he wanted?"

"Grave robbing." Bogo answered. "He has an affinity for the dead."

Judy opened her mouth to say thanks, but immediately shut it when commotion erupted from the building. Bogo and the bunny looked at each other and rushed inside.

/

_Bull Run – Sherriff Bogo's Office._

Nicholas "Doc" Wilde closed the door behind him as Judy and the buffalo walked outside. He leaned against the door, with his back against the wall and pulled out his pocket watch. After reading the time, the fox clicked it shut and placed it back inside his pocket. Once he did, the antelope from the chair spoke up. He had been examining the stranger and realized that he had seen him the previous night. "You're new in town."

Doc nodded. "That's right."

"And you're a fox."

As the antelope was speaking, Nick reached into his pocket and pulled out a cigarette. After lighting it, he put it in his mouth, inhaled and exhaled. Finally, he looked at himself. He checked his tail, and felt his ears. When he was done, the vulpine spoke with a smile. "Wow. I didn't know that! I've always thought that I was an uglier animal." His smile disappeared as he looked at the deputy, and blew out a smoke. "Like an antelope."

The animal stood up from his chair, stinging from the insult. He started to cock his rifle and when he did, he immediately changed his mind. "You ain't worth it."

He sat back down in his chair and after a couple of seconds of silence, he looked at Clawhauser. "What did we always say about foxes?"

"They're scum." Clawhauser chuckled, looking at Nick. "And we want to rid Zootopia of all foxes."

"That's right, Clawhauser." The antelope spoke. He looked back at the vulpine. "Do you want to leave Zootopia, fox?"

Doc said nothing, which caused the antelope to continue. "And those vixen!" The antelope moaned. "Those exquisite vixen. You know that you foxes like them dirty!"

Nick took a step forward, a scowl written on his face. That step caused the antelope to stand up. He smiled at the fox. "What's the matter, fox? Don't you want to hear how I treat your kind?"

The vulpine sighed and looked away to his right onto the ground. The antelope chuckled. "That's right, fox. You're not worthy enough to look at me. Soon, you and your _kind_ will be back to their rightful place... underneath my boot."

Suddenly, pain flashed through the antelope's jaw as he felt his body reeling backwards. Nick had drawn his revolver, spun it around his finger and drove the butt of his gun into the side of the antelope's mouth. As the antelope was driven backwards, Nick drew his other gun and pointed it towards Clawhauser, training his first at the fallen animal. He winked at Clawhauser as he tsk-tsked. "Too slow, Clawsie."

The door opened behind him as Bogo and Judy rushed inside. At the sight of the antelope groaning with pain, Bogo immediately pulled out his revolver and trained it on Nick. The vulpine smiled again, dropped his cigarette out of his mouth and squished it underneath his boot. Finally, he flipped his gun until they were facing the ground. He slowly put it into his holsters and kept his paws up in the air.

"What's going on here?" Bogo demanded.

Nick shrugged. "Just a disagreement between myself and one of your deputies. Clawhauser saw the whole thing and can vouch for me."

Bogo glared at the fat cheetah and Clawhauser quickly became interested with the wooden floor, saying nothing.

"That doesn't matter." Bogo growled. "You attacked one of my deputies. You need to serve your time."

"That won't be necessary, Bogo." Judy spoke up. She folded her arms again. "I need him."

"Judy!" Bogo spat.

"I… Need… Him." Judy spoke, enunciating each word. Bogo sighed and holstered his revolver. He glared at the bunny and spoke, "You know where One-Eyed Jack is. Get out of here and I'd better not see him again."

The bunny nodded and grabbed the fox by the coat. Within a few seconds, both animals were outside, and walking towards their horses. Once they arrived to their animals, Judy turned around, her face a mask of fury. "What the _hell_ was that back there?" she demanded.

Nick sighed and took off his hat, hitting it against his leg, causing dust to fly out. The sun caused his orange fur to glow as he spoke, "No one around here respect foxes." He spoke. Judy's anger softened and she nodded. Wordlessly she turned around and mounted Breeze. Within a few seconds, Nick did the same. Under the shade of his hat, the fox spoke, "Well, where are we going? Do you know where Jack is?"

"Hanging Rock."

At the name, Nick chuckled. "I know the place. I should have guessed that he would be there." He wheeled Midnight and started to trot out of town, with the bunny in tow. Within a few seconds, they cantered across the hot plains, heading east towards Hanging Rock.

/

_Zootopia – Outside of Hanging Rock_

The hot afternoon sun disappeared as the two animals raced across the plains. As they rode, they shared their provisions for dinner. Slowly the dirty ground gave way to grass and the plains into hills. As the sun disappeared over the horizon and the moon peeked its silvery face, both the bunny and fox stopped for the night.

They had found a small flat ledge on a hillside that allowed them easy view of the grassy plains below. After taking the saddles off their horses, feeding and brushing them, they immediately set about setting up camp. Since Judy left her things back near Bull Run, she was content to lay against a smooth stone she found on the hillside.

Nick gathered some dead shrubbery and some sticks that he found. Within a few minutes, he had a small fire going to combat the cold night. The fox took off his hat and laid it on the ground and placed his paws near the flames, feeling the heat. Finally, Nick stood up, grabbed his hat and moved to the other side of the fire, opposite from where the bunny laid. He took off his coat and bundled it up into a ball and placed it on the ground. Using it as a pillow, Nick laid down and pulled out his pocket watch. The glow from the fire told him the time, and the vulpine closed it with a click.

The reflection of light from the pocket watch caught Judy's attention. She watched the fox open it and saw him sigh. After a couple seconds passed, Nick put the pocket watch away. Summoning her courage, Judy spoke, "That's a nice pocket watch." She spoke. "Where did you get it?"

"It was a present." Nick answered, offering nothing more. He moved his hat until it was covering his face. Judy nodded to herself and laid back, watching the stars. As soon as she looked at the marvelous sky, the images of her sons popped in her mind

_Morgan… Samuel… How I miss you guys._ She thought. _I'd give anything to hear you boys._

Caught up in her thought, the bunny started to sing, her beautiful and clear voice breaking the silence of the night.

Even though I always roam

I know that I have a home

Across the plains, there with you

So keep your eyes on the stars above

Know that I look back down with love

As I make my way home… to you.

When she was finished, all was silent save for the crackling of the fire. Nick grunted in the distance and the fox pulled his cowboy hat away. He sat up, glaring at the bunny and spoke, "I'm tryin to sleep here. Please stop with your warblin!"

"First of all. I wasn't warbling." Judy shot back, bristling at the insult. "Many animals like my singing!"

Nick scoffed. "Those animals must be tone-deaf!" The fox shook his head. "If you must screech, please do it quietly."

Judy rolled her eyes, but nodded. Nick laid back down on his back and looked up at the stars. After a few minutes passed, Judy's soft and beautiful voice broke the silence once more. Once she was done, Nick rolled over to his side, hiding his face from the bunny as a lone tear escaped and rolled down his cheek.

/

_Zootopia – Outside of Hanging Rock_

The morning sun greeted the compatriots and at the dawn's first light, the two animals woke up, shared breakfast and immediately broke camp. The horses were given some water from their rations, and after mounting their animals, both the bunny and the fox made their way up to the top of the hill, before heading down.

They rode for half a day across the rolling hills. Finally after arriving to the top of a hill, Nick pulled on Midnight, causing the horse to stop. The black horse neighed and shook his head. _Can I please have food?_

Nick rolled his eyes. "We just stopped an half an hour ago." He spoke softly. "You already ate."

_Yeah. But I'm hungry now._

Judy pulled up next to the fox and with a questioning look on her face, the fox looked down. "That's Hanging Rock." Wilde spoke, pointing to the mound of rocks.

Judy squinted, attempting to block the sun out of her eyes and see clearly. Before she said anything, she surveyed the area and was disappointed with what she saw.

There were more plains, and the rocks did not seem to provide any cover. She knew that there were other bounty hunters looking for this wily rabbit, and she wanted to beat them. Finally, Judy nodded and spoke. "When we get down there, how are we going to do this?"

"I'll handle it." Nick spoke. After Judy looked at him, he responded, "Trust me. I've had dealings with him in the past."

Hopps nodded with consent and both animals trotted carefully down the hill. As they got closer, the cluster of rocks were exactly what it looked like in the distance, a cluster of rocks. A couple hundred feet away, Nick stopped his horse, turned and looked at Judy. "We get off here. Follow me and keep close. Jack doesn't like guests."

Judy nodded and followed Nick's bidding. She climbed off her horse and grabbed her rifle. As she did, she spoke "Why is Jack living around here?"

"He doesn't live here," Nick answered, digging in his pocket. He pulled out a cigarette and a lighter. The fox paused as he lit his cigarette and shook the flame away from the match. He inhaled, and then spoke, smoke exiting his mouth. "Behind those rocks are a grave site. This place was a popular lynching spot for criminals. But now a days, it's just a bunch of rocks. If I had to guess, I'd say Jack be in the graveyard."

Judy looked towards the rocks and started to follow the vulpine, following his bidding. As they got closer to the mound of giant boulders, Judy was pleased to see that there was a small pathway to the center of the rocks. The slanting boulders provided a better spot of cover than she originally thought.

The sound of digging caught her attention, and Judy nearly collided with Nick as the vulpine stopped immediately. He placed a finger against his mouth and Judy nodded in response. The two animals started to walk again and the digging noise got louder.

Once they got around the rocks, a scene caught the bunny by surprise. There were hundreds of tombstones littering the ground, and many of the graves had been freshly dug. Mounds of dirt laid next to each tombstone, save for one. A pile of dirt flew out of the hole, as Nick and Judy walked closer.

The fox took his cigarette out, cleared his voice and spoke, "Jack! One-Eyed Jack! Is that you?"

The digging noise stopped and the two animals were met with silence. The hot sun beat down on both of them, causing the bunny to grip her rifle even tighter. Suddenly, a head popped out of the hole.

"Who goes there?" He yelled. "I'm armed."

Nick extinguished his cigarette underneath his boot and spoke, "Jack… I'm in your blind side."

Jack moved his head in his direction and spoke. "I knew that. Now who are you?"

"Jack" Nick paused. "It's me."

The strange creature looked over the fox. After a couple of seconds, he screeched. "Well I'll be damned! Doc Wilde!"

Nick spread his arms apart. "In the flesh."

A raspy laugh was emitted from the strange animal, covered in dirt. With a mighty leap, the animal jumped outside of the grave and looked at the fox. "What are you doing here boy? What brings you to Jack?"

Nick gestured towards Judy with his head and spoke, "This lady and I need some information."

Jack peered around the fox and looked at the bunny. He ignored the vulpine and walked slowly to the bunny. As he got closer, Judy's stomach rolled. The stench was unbearable and as Jack stood before her, she finally realized that he was a jackrabbit. Patches of missing fur covered his face and his upper torso, as he did not have a shirt. Along with the patches, scars showed underneath the noonday sun. As he smiled, only few teeth were shown. But what caught Judy by surprise was his namesake as where his left eye was supposed to be, was a gaping hole. Judy slowly clutched her rifle, as Jack leaned in closer. He took a whiff and then shuddered. "You smell pretty." He cackled at the sight of Judy's expression. "Don't want to be with Jack eh?"

The jackrabbit turned around and walked past the vulpine. Within a few seconds, he was back in the grave. "If you want information, you need to pay."

Nick nodded with understanding. He held out a bottle of scotch that he had bought from the saloon in Bull Run. "I've got a bottle of scotch with your name on it!"  
The vulpine dodged a pile of dirt. Jack had flung it out of the grave and it sailed through the air, nearly hitting the fox. His head popped out of the grave again. "Scotch? I don't need no scotch… least not now."

Nick sighed and placed the bottle down on the ground. "Then what do you want?"

Jack was silent, then he looked over at Judy. "I want her for a few hours."

Nick opened his mouth to speak, but Judy beat him. "Over my dead body!"

Jack cackled insanely and disappeared in the grave. Within a few seconds, an item sailed through the air and rolled to a stop in front of the bunny. Judy groaned with disgust as she saw that it was a skull of a bygone animal.

"It would be my pleasure!" Jack responded. "As you can see… I'm perfectly fine with the dead!" He cackled again.

Judy opened her mouth again, but Nick shot her a look. He turned back to the insane rabbit and spoke, "Jack… It's about Callahan."

The rabbit jumped out of the grave and looked at Nick. "Bucky Callahan?" he asked. After Nick nodded, Jack cackled again. "Why didn't you say so?" the rabbit turned around and stepped back into the grave. "Come on." He spoke.

Nick sighed and looked at Judy. The bunny shook her head, but when Nick shot her a second look, she sighed. Within a few seconds they were all sitting on the bottom of the grave, next to the bones of some poor animal.

"So… what do you want to know?" Jack looked between them insanely.

"Where is he?"

"He's here and he's there. He's everywhere." Jack cackled. "It's hard to keep track of him these days."

Judy sighed, but a second thought appeared in her mind. "How many men does he have?"

Jack looked at her with his one good eye and spoke, "Way more men than you two can handle, marm! The two of you can't handle him and his gang!" He cackled. "But if you decide you want to go yourselves, let me know." He looked at the bunny and licked his lips anxiously. "Cuz when you're dead, I'll take care of you."

Judy shuddered with disgust, causing Jack to cackle even more. He looked down and started to dig even more. "No… if you want to go and face him. You need a gang."

Nick groaned. "Great." He shook his head. "I don't even know where to start."

"I do!" Jack screeched. "There's an animal outside of Tulare! His name is… is…" Jack paused for a couple of seconds, then screeched loudly. "Cody! He doesn't like Callahan, that one! He'll help you and mebbe he knows others. He'd be a good addition! He's ex-soldier, a sniper and a good shot with that rifle of his!"

Nick stood up suddenly. "Tulare. Thanks Jack." He looked at Judy. "We should get going."

Both the fox and bunny climbed out of the grave site. Before they started walking, Jack popped his head up. Directing his attention towards the bunny, he spoke, "If you ever become lonely, you know where to find me." He cackled and disappeared again.

Judy shuddered again and unconsciously started to wipe her body as if trying to get rid of Jack. Doc chuckled at the sight and as they both climbed on their horses, the fox spoke,

"I guess One-Eyed Jacks are Wild."


	5. Chapter 5: The Bounty

Chapter 5: The Bounty

"_The best way to describe a Cowboy is, mud, blood, guts and glory…"_ ~Unknown

_Unknown Location_

Bucky Callahan, the leader of the Bloodhounds, strode through the empty, abandoned saloon. Tables were overturn and fallen chairs littered the ground. Every time his boot touched the ground with each step that he took, pieces of glass from broken bottles and cups broke underneath him. Dust wafted through the air as sunlight attempted to break through the boarded-up windows. Making his way to the empty bar, Callahan placed a paw on the table and leaped over it, leaving a clear print behind. He turned around, knelt down and grabbed a bottle of alcohol and stood back up.

Unscrewing the lid of the bottle, Callahan took a deep draft. Once he was done, he slammed it against the table, causing droplet of liquid to splash out and land on the floor. He sighed with satisfaction and nodded his head. It was a good day and the lupine was in a good mood. Pawsteps from outside broke his thought, and the lupine looked up with a start.

Charlie Vane and four other lupines walked inside, all resting their paws on their revolvers. After they looked at each other for a couple of seconds, Vane took a step forward and swallowed nervously. "Boss…Minho just got back from scoutin' Wolfgorge. He was walkin past the Sherriff's station and…" Vane paused, knowing that his leader's good mood would be broken quickly.

Callahan gestured for his number one wolf to continue. Vane shrugged and spoke, "Word's got out that One-Eyed Jack is still alive. There's a bounty on his head."

The lupine leader was silent as he registered the news. Suddenly, he started to chuckle. Unsure of what to do, his followers, started to laugh with him. When Bucky's laughter became louder, they echoed him. As soon as he started to laugh, he stopped and there were a couple of seconds of delay until his followers realized that he stopped laughing.

Once the laughter died off, Callahan looked at Charlie and then back to Minho. He pointed a finger at Minho. "Since you're the one who found out 'bout Jack. Take some wolves and bring him in."

Minho nodded and smiled broadly, happy to be given a huge responsibility. "Yes boss." The grey lupine turned around and started to leave the room. Callahan's voice stopped him in his tracks.

"Alive, Minho. Bring him back alive."

"Whatever you say, boss."

The wolf left the saloon and stepped outside in the deserted street of the ghost town. The afternoon sun blinded him momentarily, and the lupine smiled broadly again. He imitated Callahan in a low voice. "Take some men and bring him in!" He changed to his own voice, "Oh! Ho, ho! I'll bring him back alive and turn him in… Maybe I'll get a promotion!"

Switching to Callahan, "Good job Minho! I knew you could do it."

"Thanks boss… say, could I have the bounty money after we're all done with him?"

"Of course Minho, here, have some of the finest food and wine. These are all from my larders, my new second in command!"

Minho's imagination was broken, when watching from several feet away, Vane spoke up. He had followed Minho outside and overheard his entire conversation to himself. "Oy, Minho… Do not screw this up."

Minho nodded quickly and turned around. He made a face as muttered underneath his breath, "No good, stupid Charlie Vane… Followin' Callahan like a lap wolf… Yes boss… at once boss… would you like me to lick your boots boss?" He shook his head and looked at the sun. Marking its position, Minho hurried, calling out, "Seaeyes! Vargas! Xavier! Hyser! We've got a job!"

Once the wolves gathered around Minho, the lupine spoke "Right. We need to find One-Eyed Jack. He's been last seen hangin' around Hanging Rock. We need to bring him back here, alive. It's 'round several days ride from here. So… mount up!"

Within a few minutes, the wolves were on their horses, racing out of the town and across the plains, heading for Hanging Rock.

/

_Hanging Rock_

"One-Eyed Jacks are wild." Doc spoke.

Judy chuckled and nodded her head. "He's a strange one, that's for sure."

Nick shrugged. "He's harmless." The fox paused as he looked back as he thought for a moment. "Usually."

As the bunny and the fox urged their horses into a trot, Judy spoke over the noise of the hoof beats, "So… how'd you know Jack?"

Doc chuckled. "That's a long story. The short answer is," he nodded his head knowingly. "I knew him before he… well… before he is what he is."

"Insane?"

"That's the nice way of saying it. Anyways, I was in Pork Pass, a small town at the base of Stonehills. You know the place?"

Judy nodded, prompting the fox to continue. "I paid his debt…" after Judy looked at him inquisitively, Nick nodded. "Like I said, it's a long story. But after his debt was cleared, he always did favors for me. Then he started to go off the edge and that's when I stopped seein' him." The fox shrugged. "I thought he was dead, until I passed through Antelope City. Saw his face on a bounty poster."

"How'd he get involved with Callahan?"

"Good old Bucky used to use him as a scout. Then Jack broke a deal with the wolf and 'scaped. He's been living in the wind ever since."

Judy nodded, then a thought struck her. She stopped her horse and looked at the vulpine. Doc trotted several feet away and once he realized that she wasn't next to him, he turned Midnight around, a quizzical look on his face.

"How'd you know about this?"

"Jack told me. That's also how I found out his penchant for scotch." Nick chuckled and as soon as he did, he went silent. Using his hat to block out the sun, the fox squinted and urged Midnight to take several steps forward. Once he arrived next to Judy, he nodded in the direction that he was looking at. "Is that a dust storm or is someone headin' this way?"

The bunny turned around and looked back. She nodded. "To small to be a storm. There's several animals." She looked back at Nick. "What do you think they're doing?"

Nick shrugged. The two animals watched as the group of riders got closer and closer. They came from the east and was heading in their direction. But at the last minute, the group veered off towards Hanging Rock and to Jack.

Doc looked at the bunny and was silent. Judy nodded, checked the position of the sun and found that it was becoming late afternoon. The farmer turned and looked back at her partner and after reading his expression, she shook her head immediately.

"No… We are _not_ going back for him."

"We have to, Judy. He's helped us."

"I don't care. This is his mess."

"They're going to kill him."

"Good! Grave robbin's a serious crime!"

Nick rolled his eyes and shook his head. "You're tellin' me that you'd leave an innocent rabbit at the hands of bounty hunters?"

Judy chortled. "He may be a rabbit, but he's _not_ innocent!"

Nick was silent. Finally he nodded his head. "Alright, Judy. It's your call. You wanna start headin' back to Bull Run?"

The bunny sighed and looked back behind her towards Hanging Rock. After taking several seconds to think, she groaned loudly, wheeled her horse and urged Breeze to the landmark. Nick smiled to himself, and unconsciously took off his cowboy hat. The setting sun behind him seemed to cause the bunny to glow. After hitting his hat against his leg, and putting it back on his head, Nick patted Midnight and urged him to follow his partner.

Several hundred feet away, Judy slowed down Breeze. Climbing off the saddle, she looked at the horse and whispered, "Quiet."

Breeze nodded slowly, and stood still as the bunny grabbed her rifle from the saddle. After making sure her revolver was still in her holster, she turned around and saw Nick climbing down. Instead of meeting her, the fox grabbed a lasso from his saddle. "We're gunna need this." He whispered. "It's for his safety."

Judy nodded and watched Nick place the rope around his neck. She turned around and made her way towards the cluster of boulders, aware that Nick was right behind her. She stopped at the base of the rocks and looked at the fox. "You ready?"

After checking his revolvers and looking inside his pouch that was on his left hip, Nick was satisfied. Finally, the vulpine gave his answer with a nod. Judy turned again and started to climb up the boulders and made her way to what she assumed was the center of the slanting rocks.

The center was nothing more than a dirt pile. After she arrived, Judy looked back and saw that Nick was right on her heels. The bunny moved again, and as she walked and climbed over the rocks, the familiar sound of digging became louder.

She laid down flat on her stomach on the boulder and watched the scene. A shuffling noise was heard, and Nick copied her action, a half-smile still evident on his face. "Do you have a plan?" He whispered.

Judy shook her head. "I was going to wait for them to arrive, then watch it play out."

"A good plan as any, I guess."

The familiar digging noise was still heard. In front of the grave, a bottle of scotch still remained. The group of riders from the east became bigger, and bigger. After a couple of seconds, they finally stopped their horses, and climbed down.

Judy squinted, trying to see what kind of animals they were. Finally, she leaned to Nick and whispered, "Wolves. I see five of them."

Doc nodded in agreement as he watched the group. The leader, a grey wolf, took a step forward, his hand on a revolver holstered in his gun belt. He called out, his deep voice cutting across the digging sound. "Hey, you down there!"

One-Eyed Jack popped his head out of the grave, one eye blinking. "Who are you? Don't come any closer! I'm armed!"  
The wolf chuckled. "We've come for you, Jack. A mutual friend of ours want to talk to you, then we're going to haul you to jail for the bounty prize."

"What friends? I've got no friends!"

A false expression of hurt flashed across Nick's face as he scoffed softly. "No friends huh?"

Judy elbowed the fox in the side sharply, causing him to close his mouth. She turned her attention back to the gravesite. Jack had disappeared into the grave and the wolf sighed. "Alright boys. Take him in."

The rest of the wolves climbed down from their horses and strode forward, their revolvers out. Determining that it was the time, Judy stepped up, using the setting sun to her advantage. "Oh I don't think so, boys!"

The wolves stopped and was momentarily blinded by the sun. Shielding their eyes, the grey wolf spoke, "Who's that?"

Judy spoke, "I'm up here!" the wolf followed the sound of her voice and looked up. He saw a small figure standing on top of a rock, and watched a second figure stand up next to them. "Whaddyer want?" he demanded.

"We're here for the bounty. One-Eyed Jack's ours."

At the sound of his name, Jack looked behind him. "Marm!" He screeched with joy. "I'd knew you come back for old Jack!"

As Judy spoke to the group of wolves, Nick examined the scene before him. A sick feeling crept into his stomach. He leaned sideways and whispered, "Weren't there five of them?"

The bunny stopped her sentence and looked over the group. _One... Two… Three… Four…_ She nodded. "I counted five."

"Then where…"

A sound of the hammer being pulled back on a gun interrupted the fox. He felt the smooth barrel of the revolver against the back of his head. A snarling voice spoke, "You take one false move. I'll blow your head out."

Nick smiled. "I'd rather you'd not do that, friend. I'm quite fond of my head."

"Then get movin… _fox_." He spat out the last word. Judy sighed and nodded. She turned to her left and walked down smooth stone. The three animals made out of the cluster of rocks and made their way to the grave site. At the sight of them approaching, Jack disappeared into the grave again. The wolf prodded the fox forward until they were at the foot of the giant hole.

"On your knees, _fox._" When Nick did not move, the wolf turned his gun around and slammed the butt of his revolver into his back. Doc grunted and started to cough, eventually falling down to his knees, raising his paws up in the air. Judy remained standing as when Nick was on his knees, the vulpine fell to the same height as the bunny.

The grey wolf looked at the two animals, with his revolver out. At the sight of their leader, the rest of the lupines did the same. When it finally registered to him that they were a fox and a bunny, he started to chuckle. The chuckle became laughter and the wolf laughed so hard, tears started to roll down his face. After gaining control of his exultation, he spoke, "A bunny… and a fox were going to snatch Jack?" He chuckled. "A _bunny_… and a _fox… _teamed up to be bounty hunters and wanted to take Jack?"

Minho shook his head and walked towards the two animals. After kneeling down, the wolf stroked the side of Judy's face and growled playfully. He stuck his tongue out and licked her. As the wolf was doing so, Judy shot Nick a murderous look. The fox quickly shook his head.

_Not yet._ He mouthed. Using his eyes, he looked down next to him. Judy followed the fox's gaze and saw that it rested on the full scotch bottle. Nick then quickly shifted his gaze towards Jack, who was still in the hole. Judy looked inside the grave, and saw that he was digging. A small mound of dirt appeared next to him, and underneath the ground, something white appeared.

When Minho was done, he stood back up and smacked his lips thoughtfully. Finally he nodded his head, and spoke. "Keep her alive. I want her for myself. Kill the fox and push him into the grave, then take Jack."

"Wait!" Jack screeched. As Minho looked into the grave, the rabbit spoke, "Why does anyone want me? How much am I worth?"

"Thirty dollars." Nick responded. That caused a whoop of surprise to be emitted from the crazed bunny. "Thirty dollars?" Jack screeched. "Can I turn myself in? I wanna use the money to get more animals!" He stared pointedly at Judy. "Dead animals!"

Minho rolled his eyes and pointed his revolver at the rabbit. "Get out of there."

"No can do. I need your help. It's quite deep down here, ya know? Give old Jack a paw eh?"

Minho sighed and knelt down, obliging. He pocketed his revolver and grabbing the edge of the grave, the wolf held out a right paw towards the rabbit. Jack smiled and with his right paw, acted as if he would accept the wolf's help. His left paw curled around the white item, and at the last second, Judy realized that it was a leg bone.

Jack grabbed Minho's paw and spoke, "There's something you need to learn sonny!" His voice reached an octave higher as he screeched, "No one can take Jack alive!" He swung the bone at the wolf and Minho saw stars at the bone collided against his jaw. He went limp at the edge of the grave.

Using the surprise to his advantage, Nick dropped his left paw, grabbed the scotch bottle, and in one movement, stood up and spun around, swinging the bottle, as his right paw reached for his .38 caliber and pulled it out. The bottle smashed against the side of the wolf's head and Nick saw that his eyes crossed over. The wolf crumbled into a heap. Stopping his spin, Doc took quick aim at a wolf, and fired. The wolf howled with pain as the bullet entered his leg, shattering the bone and ripping the flesh. Blood spurted from his wound as the lupine fell backwards.

As soon as she heard the bottle break against the wolf's face, Judy pulled out her revolver and took aim. Her first bullet took a red furred wolf out of commission. She moved her revolver, but the black furred wolf was quick. He dove sideways, causing her first shot to miss. But Judy was even faster. She had cocked the hammer and made a quick adjustment. The second bullet smashed through his forehead, snuffing his life out.

All was silent. Doc scoffed and spun his revolver around his finger before holstering it. He looked at Judy and smiled. "You're quick."

The bunny shook her head with amazement. "Doc… what you did was art!"

The vulpine shrugged modestly. "Ah… It was nothin'."

"No, seriously! You're fast. How you spun around and hit him with your bottle while pulling your gun? I've never seen anything like that before."

"Don't sell yourself short, darlin'. You weren't bad yourself. I haven't seen anyone hit a movin' target at speeds like yours."

Judy chuckled. "Years of prac…"

She was interrupted when a screech erupted from the grave. "Just get a room already!" Jack's head popped out. He looked at Judy and cackled insanely, "But if you don't wanna shack up with him…" he paused and cackled again. "Wanna step into my grave?"

Judy shuddered again, and Nick chuckled. He pulled the rope from his neck and handed it to Judy. "Wanna do this?" he asked.

Judy nodded. "It'll be my pleasure."

Jack leaped out of the grave and nodded quickly. "Yes! Yes! Please have her tie me up. Tie me up good, Judy! It's been many moons since I've felt the touch of a…" Jack lipped his lips anxiously. "Woman."

At the sight of Judy's expression, he cackled again, his screeching laughter breaking the silence. Judy strode forward, balling her paw into a fist, and with a quick move slammed it against the rabbit's jaw. He spun comically around once and fell to the ground with a crash. The bunny flipped him over, grabbed his paws and holding them together tied it. She moved on to his legs, and bringing them up, tied the paws and the legs together.

Jack finally spoke, "A hog tie, eh? I understand now, Judy. Yore just playing hard to get!"

Judy punched Jack and this time, the rabbit went silent. She stood back up and whistled loudly. Hoof beats was heard in the distance. After a few minutes, both Breeze and Midnight appeared. When both horses arrived, Judy looked at Nick and nodded.

"You mind?"

Nick chuckled and shook his head. He reached down, picked up the crazed rabbit like a feather and placed it on the back of Midnight. Judy climbed up on her horse, and before the vulpine did, he examined the scene before him. Two wolves were unconscious and the third was in a lot of pain. He walked towards the wolf and a half-smile appeared on his face. Nick raised his foot and pressed it against the bullet wound. As the wolf howled with pain, Doc's voice became low and dangerous. "Don't try to follow us. Go back to whoever you came from and stay there. If I see you again, I'll kill you."

The wolf nodded fearfully. "Who… who are you?

Doc shook his head. "That's not important."

With that statement, he turned around and climbed up onto his horse. As soon as he did, Jack regained consciousness and screeched. "Wait! I'm forgetting something!"

Judy sighed. "What?"

"That leg bone! It's delicious!" With that statement, the rabbit cackled insanely. Nick reached behind him and smacked him with the back of his paw. Wheeling his horse around, he urged Midnight into a trot, then a canter. Within a few seconds, both the vulpine and the bunny were racing across the plains towards the grassy hills. The sunset disappeared behind the hills, and the moon reappeared in the east.

/

_Outskirts of Hanging Rock_

Nick already had a fire going. They arrived back to the same campsite where they spent the night before. After setting up a fire, Nick pulled Jack down from Midnight and untied him. The rabbit said nothing as he moved his limbs around, willing for the circulation to come back. Finally, he held his paws out and Nick obliged. He took the rope and tied it back together, before connecting it with his legs. Instead of lying on his stomach, Jack was on his back, on the grassy hillside.

Judy sat with her back on the same smooth stone slab, a pen in one paw and a piece of paper on her leg. She had taken the saddle off Breeze and was using the leather as a table. After spending a couple of minutes to think, her pen touched the paper as she wrote,

_June 29__th_

_ Dear Henny and Boys,_

_ This past week has been a busy week and I regret to have not written sooner. Don't worry, I am okay and I think of you and the boys every single day. Well, you must be wondering what I have been up to. Like I said, it's been a busy week, if not crazy. After riding for three days, I arrived at a town called Bull Run. Bull Run is a quaint little town, with my friend Bogo as the Sherriff. You may remember the giant buffalo at the farm several days ago. That was Bogo._

_Anyways, I ran into the same stoat that set fire to our farm, and guess what? He brought two of his friends! It was at Bull Run that I sent them all to the Great Beyond. May they find everlasting peace, or be judged harshly._

_After dealing with the vagrants, I went into a saloon. I asked the barkeep if he heard of any word regarding Callahan. The barkeep gave me bad news, and then I heard a commotion. A fox, playing poker had been accosted by a raccoon and was being held at gunpoint._

_I decided to step in and to help, but when I did, this raccoon, Raymond he was called, decided to insult me. Then the fox grabbed the raccoon and defended my honor. Yes Henny! A fox!_

_He approached me when the whole ordeal was over and he was different… for a fox. He's kind, and was very gentlemanly. He was very polite and we got to talking. It turned out that he had a lead. It was there and then that he offered his services, and because of how he handled himself, I accepted. _

_ His name is Nicholas Wilde, but he insists on his friends calling him Doc. His lead was in the form of One-Eyed Jack, a jackrabbit with several screws loose in his head. He has taken a shine to me, and has followed me around like Breeze in search for an apple. We ran into some bounty hunters, searching for Jack._

_ Don't worry boys. I am fine. Like I said, your mother can take care of herself. It was during this fight that I learned Doc's other quality. He's very dangerous and very skilled with that gun of his. I think he and I will make a very good team. The rabbit says that if we need to catch Callahan, we need to get some help. He pointed to an animal named Cody in Tulare. Hopefully, he'll help me._

_ Samuel, keep listening to your brother. If he says to do something, you do it. I am very proud of you. _

_ Morgan, I know it's hard that I am not at the house, but you're still in charge. Make sure to work the crops and listen to Henny for advice._

_ I love you boys. Be happy in the knowledge that I am always thinking of you and am one step closer in going home._

_ Love always,_

_ Mom._

Judy placed her pen on the ground next to her and took the time to read the paper. Satisfied with what it said, the bunny carefully placed the paper in front of her writing utensil and placed a small pebble on its corner. Once she was assured that the paper was in a good position to allow for the ink to dry, the bunny stood up and picked up her saddle. She carried it and dropped it next to Breeze. She turned around and started to walk back to her spot.

As she did, she passed the jackrabbit. At the sound of her pawsteps, his one good eye opened immediately. "Marm…I'm cold."

Judy looked at One-Eyed Jack and slowly nodded. "Alright. Hold out your paws and I'll drag you to the fire." She took a step forward, and as she did, Jack spoke, "But I'm not that kind of cold marm."

Judy looked at Jack, confused. Realization struck her and she groaned with disgust, causing the jackrabbit to cackle insanely. Finally, she knelt down and spoke, her voice low. "I'm going to sleep. If I find you remotely close to me in the morning, I will hurt you. Is that understood?"

Jack wasn't listening. He was too busy leaning forward, trying to catch a whiff of Judy's scent. Once he did, he screeched loudly, "That's the stuff!" He fell backwards cackling insanely. The bunny rolled her eyes with disgust and threw her paws with surrender. She stood up and walked to her spot.

Once she arrived back to her stone, she was aware that a pair of eyes were on her. Judy looked across the fire, and saw Nick, laying on the ground, watching her underneath his cowboy hat. "You need somthin?" she asked.

Nick shook his head. "I don't mean to intrude, but who were you writing to?"

"My boys."

The vulpine was silent for several seconds. "You've got kids?"

"Th…" Judy caught herself. "Two."

Nick sat up and looked at the bunny, catching her mistake. He slowly nodded. "You meant to say three, didn't you? I'm sorry for your loss."

"Thanks." She stopped and thought for a couple of seconds. Finally, she spoke. "I was pregnant with him and there were complications during delivery." She sighed and continued, "What about you? Do you have kids?"

Doc was silent, and Judy looked over at the vulpine. He took a deep breath and after giving a sigh, rolled over to his side. As he did, he spoke. "I used to have one."

"What was their name?"

Nick didn't answer. Instead, he pretended to be asleep. After Judy realized that he wasn't answering, she laid on the ground, closed her eyes and within a few minutes was fast asleep to the sound of the crackling fire.

Doc sighed again, and reached into a pocket of a vest and pulled out his pocket watch. Clicking it open, Nick didn't look at the time. Instead he looked at the small inscription that was written. When he was done, he shook his head, closed the lid and placed it back into his vest. Adjusting the cowboy hat until it was covering his face, the fox fell asleep to the warmth of the fire.

/

_Outskirts of Bull Run_

The sun was already setting when Judy Hopps, Nicholas "Doc" Wilde and One-Eyed Jack arrived at Bull Run. They got up in the morning and when breaking camp, hurried away from the rolling hills and across the dusty plains. They made good time, as the sun started to disappear beneath the horizon.

Judy stopped Breeze, causing Nick, on Midnight to stop behind her. He looked at the bunny and spoke, "Everythin' alright?"

The farmer turned her horse around and nodded. She pointed at the giant tree that was in their pathway. "My camp's there. I'm going to pack up and rent a room at the saloon. Can you see to Jack?"

After the fox nodded, Judy continued. "See you in the mornin'?"

Doc flashed her a half-smile. "I look forward to it." With that statement, he urged his horse forward, and the animal galloped towards the town.

Judy urged her horse forward. Within a couple of minutes she was at her camp. The bunny climbed off her saddle and once she did, she reached into the pouch and pulled out a fruit. Breeze immediately turned around and grabbed the apple off her paw and munched happily. After she was done, she shook her mane and neighed, _thanks._

"No, thank you." Judy spoke out loud as she crawled inside her tent. Satisfied with the fact that she didn't forget anything, she opened the tent flaps and looked at the horse. "You've done a lot the past few days."

_Not as much as you and that fox._

She grunted with agreement. "Doc's an interesting animal."

_And Midnight's handsome._

Judy stared at the horse and Breeze shook her mane as if to say, _what?_

The bunny chuckled, turned around and focused on taking her tent down. As she did, she spoke, "Doc's good…. With a gun. He's fast, dangerous and…" the picture of the emerald eyes, half-smiling vulpine appeared in her mind with his vest and dress pants. "Handsome."

_If I had to guess, I'd think you're in love with him._ Breeze nickered.

Judy spun around with a start. "What?"

The horse looked at the bunny, confusion on her face. _What? I was talking to myself. I think I love Midnight._

"How could you be in love with Midnight?" Judy exclaimed. "You've only known him for two days!"

_And you've only known Doc for two days_

Judy looked at the horse, and Breeze widened her eyes as to portray her innocence. The bunny groaned, turned around and focused on her task. Breeze neighed joyfully at the sight of her owner's embarrassment. Finally, the bunny spoke up, "We'll never get together. A fox and a bunny? It won't be in the cards."

_Woah, woah, woah. _Breeze looked at her pointedly. _Who said anything about marriage?_

"Don't put words in my mouth."

_You've only knew him for two days! Be sure to date him first._

Judy shook her head. "You're right, Breeze…. Wait… why am I talking to a horse about my dating life?"

_Because we know love?_

Judy chuckled to herself and finally took the last stake out from the ground. The bunny then put the stakes on the cloth that served as her tent. After rolling the cloth around the stakes, Judy tied a rope around it, and walked back to her horse. She secured the bundle on the back of her saddle and climbed on. As she urged her horse forward, a thought struck her. She leaned down and spoke, "Not a word about our conversation to Midnight."

_I swear_.

Satisfied with that response, Judy urged her horse forward. Breezed neighed with excitement and picked up her speed. Wind whipped against her face as they raced across the dark plains and towards town.

/

_Bull Run_

Nicholas "Doc" Wilde navigated Midnight into the boundaries of the town. As he made his way through, he dodged the animals who were milling around. A lot placed their paws on their guns as they watched the fox suspiciously, carrying a rabbit on the back of his horse. But they became relaxed as they realized that he was heading to the Sherriff's station.

Nick navigated his horse to the hitching post in front of the giant brown building. Unlike the first night when he rode into town, there was no one occupying the rocking chair. After climbing down, he patted the horse and grabbed the rope. He tied it to the post, and walked back to the saddle. With a heave, Doc pulled One-Eyed Jack and accidentally dropped the crazed rabbit.

Jack gave a squeak of pain as his body hit the ground. He glared at Nick and the vulpine shrugged. "Sorry."

The vulpine leaned down and with a small grunt, picked up the rabbit and threw him over his shoulder. Doc turned around and walked up the several steps, until he was at the front door. He shifted, and using his left paw, twisted the handle. Once he knew that it was twisted to the maximum, Doc used his left shoulder to push the door inward.

That was his mistake. As the door swung open, Nick stumbled forward. As he did, Jack's head hit the side of the door, causing the rabbit to screech with pain. The vulpine gained control of his footing and muttered, "Sorry again."

"Are you tryin' to kill me or something?" Jack screeched.

Nick chuckled at the rabbit, but his laughter stopped as he saw the stern glare of the Sherriff. The vulpine cleared his throat and spoke, "I'm here to collect the bounty."

Bogo stood up and glared at the vulpine. Nick stood up straighter and stared back. Finally, the Sherriff grunted. "Throw him in an empty cell."

Doc looked at the three cells before him. Giving a half-smile, he spoke, "Which one?"

"Are you trying to vex me, fox?" Bogo roared, catching the sass that crept into Nick's voice. "Put him in there, dammit!"

Nick strode forward and stepped through the cell. After he threw Jack on a mattress, he stood up straighter and stretched. Finally, the fox stepped back out, taking his cowboy hat off. "Jack's here and alive. Where's the money?"

"What money?" Bogo answered.

Doc nodded towards the bounty poster that was on the wall behind him. "Thirty dollars, alive." He read. "It says here that you will pay thirty dollars." The vulpine gestured towards the rabbit and nodded. "He's alive, so give me what is mine."

Bogo slowly stood up, his eyes full of hatred and rage. "You'll get what is coming to you someday… _fox." _The buffalo sat back down. "And as for the money, consider the rabbit as a favor for me for hitting my deputy."  
Nick scoffed and bit his lips. Finally, he nodded. "Alright… We're fair now." He placed his paws on his revolvers, turned around and started to head out of the building. The vulpine stopped walking as Bogo called out behind him. "And fox?"

Doc turned around and looked at the Sherriff, silent. "I don't know what you're doing with Judy." The buffalo rumbled angrily. "But if you or anybody… and I mean _anybody_ hurt her, you'll deal with me."

Nick slowly nodded and he answered, "I'm with her to catch Callahan and that's what I'll do. As for hurting her… you don't have to worry about that."

"Why?"

Doc's emerald eyes twinkled. Bogo's anger slowly seeped away as the silence passed between them. Finally the vulpine spoke up, his voice low, dangerous and full of truth "Because I won't let that happen. If Judy gets hurt on my watch… I'll be their huckleberry."

When he finished, he looked at the Sherriff, then the fat cheetah to the right of him, and finally at the antelope. "Bogo, Clawhauser… and whoever you are. I bid you goodnight." He turned around and pulled the door closed.

As soon as the door closed, Clawhauser chuckled. The fat cheetah held his paws open as the antelope placed some dollars onto his palm. After pocketing his new money, he spoke, "He's a dangerous one…I wouldn't want to cross him!"

"He's a fox, and no more than a bounty hunter!" Bogo responded in kind.

Clawhauser stood up and pushed the door open. As he watch Nick lead his horse towards the saloon, the fat cheetah shook his head. "Not this one…He carries death with him."

When Nick arrived at the saloon, he was pleased to see Breeze at the hitching post. After tying the rope to the post, he looked at Midnight, then back at Breeze. He patted Midnight's side and spoke, "Behave."

Midnight looked behind him and nickered. _You're the one to talk._

Nick chuckled and walked up the steps to the saloon. He opened the door and was hit with the familiar scene. Animals milled around the busy room as music wafted through the air. A group of players were at the poker table to the left of him and in the corner, a group of vixens stood. But as soon as he took a step forward, the pig playing the piano stopped. As the music died down, the chatting did the same, as every animal stared at the fox. Suddenly, they broke into cheering and applause and the music resumed.

Nick looked around incredulously. As he made his way through the throngs of animals, he shook paws and felt as they patted his back. He finally arrived to the bar and saw Judy sitting alone, clapping her paws. "What's going on?" he asked.

Judy shrugged and the barkeep spoke up, "It's for how you handled Raymond. Word got around town and he's not been back for several days!"

Doc chuckled and looked at Judy. She shrugged again, and the fox sat on the stool next to her. "Were you able to get a room?"

Judy shook her head. "They're all full." She spoke. "I think I'm just gonna go back out and pitch my tent again." She groaned and rubbed her face with tiredness. "It's been a long day."

Nick chuckled. "A long couple of days." He stood up and turned around, leaning until his back was touching the counter. "Why don't you stay with me? You can have the bed and I'll sleep on the floor. It's already paid for."

"Is that okay? I don't want to intrude."

Doc shrugged nonchalantly. "It's fine. We've been through so much together the past couple of days already, and you deserve a proper bed." He gestured towards the stairs. "It's upstairs. Room 210. Here's the key."

After handing the key to the bunny, Judy smiled. "Thanks. I think I'll turn in."

"Good night."

"Night."

The fox watched his partner leave the saloon and walk up the stairs. Within a couple of seconds, she disappeared out of sight on the second floor. He smiled and sat back in his stool. The barkeep, who overheard the conversation, walked up to him, and handed him a bottle of whiskey with a shot glass. Finally he nodded. "So… you're going to score with the bunny tonight?"

Nick shook his head. "I wouldn't dream of it."

"Really? I'd thought…"

"Leave it." Nick's voice lowered, warning the barkeep to drop the subject. The dog nodded again and moved away, serving his other customer. Nick picked up the bottle and poured its content into the glass. He sighed and drank it, stopping to cough for a second. An image of the bunny appeared in his mind, and the fox smiled as he replayed the events of the last several days. Speaking to no one in particular, and nodding stupidly, Doc spoke,

"She's a bunny after my own heart."


	6. Chapter 6: The Sniper

Chapter 6: The Sniper

"_My restless, roaming spirit would not allow me to remain at home very long." _~William "Buffalo Bill" Cody

_Unknown Location_

Bucky Callahan stepped outside of the empty saloon and stretched. The morning sun peeked its face from beneath the horizon, casting an orange glow on the ghost town. Around him, snoring could be heard as lupines slept anywhere they wanted. The leader stepped off the rundown wooden porch and walked to the nearest lupine, who was fast asleep on the dirt road, his back to a fallen barrel. As Callahan stood over him, his arms folded, the lupine's ears twitched and drool started to fall out of his mouth.

The wolf rolled his eyes and kicked meanly at his minion. The lupine woke up with a start and stood up immediately. After adjusting his gun belt, the wolf looked around with confusion before resting upon his leader. At the sight of Callahan, the lupine relaxed and spoke, "Boss?"

Callahan pointed to his left at an old white church. "Go in there and go up to the bell tower. If you see Minho comin', send him to me quick."

The wolf nodded, turned around and started to do his leader's bidding. Callahan's voice stopped him in his tracks and the lupine turned around. "If you fall asleep at your post," Callahan snarled. "You'll have to worry about yer life."

The lupine swallowed and nodded. He turned around and started hurrying towards the church. Callahan watched him disappear into the building. After a couple of minutes, the familiar figure of the lupine appeared on top of the church, holding a wooden chair. Callahan rolled his eyes and walked up to the tower, until he was standing a few feet away.

His minion put down the chair on the wooden floor of the tower and sat down. Satisfied that he was comfortable and able to have a clear visibility, the wolf leaned back his chair until the furniture was touching the railing. He then raised his feet up and the lupine smiled to himself. He had a great view and the sun was coming up. What more could he ask for?

A gunshot was heard, followed by splintering, and the wolf found himself falling sideways. He sprawled on the ground, and instinctively grabbed his revolver out of the holster. After looking around, the wolf decided to do the next obvious thing, look down.

He sighed to himself with despair as he locked eyes with Bucky Callahan. The leader shook his head, and holstered his revolver. Calling up to the lupine, Callahan yelled "Did I say you could rest when on watch? Idiot!" The brown-furred wolf shook his head and gave himself a small smile as he saw his minion scrambling to stand up. The lupine immediately holstered his weapon and called back, "Sorry, Boss! Won't happen again!"

The gunshot noise alerted the other lupines, who woke up from their slumber. They ran out of various buildings: stores, hotels and banks. Callahan scoffed as he saw their state. Within a few seconds, his entire crew surrounded him, wondering what was happening.

The well-dressed wolf took off his hat and unconsciously touched his scar. He shook his head and spoke, "Look at yerselves! You're all in a sorry state! You've all gone soft!" Reaching a decision, the wolf bellowed, "Right! We're going to the next step of my plan!"

He pointed at his number-one lupine, Charlie Vane, and spoke, "Charlie! Grab Dagger, Shadowtooth, Vierra, Scorpion and…" he paused as he looked around his crew. "Blackjack! Go and hit Applehill and come back with the spoils!" After the wolves nodded and left the group to do their boss' bidding, Callahan turned around and spoke, "Seesaw, Snorklout, Desert and Yellowfang!" The four wolves stepped forward, and Callahan spoke, "Time for you to do your part."

They all looked at each other, then back onto their leader. Callahan nodded. "That's right. Go get them and bring them back to me." He put a paw on Seesaw's shoulder. "You're in charge…" Callahan smiled dangerously and pulled the wolf in closer, his voice lowering, "Which means that if you fail…" he let his voice trail off.

Seesaw swallowed nervously and nodded his head. He moved away from Callahan and started to head to his horse, with his partners in tow. Callahan turned around and faced the rest of his crew. "Right! I want y'all to stay sharp. Set up a watch rotation for Minho up there. Get us some food, weapons and dynamite…" he stopped and when his minions weren't moving, he yelled, "Well? Get moving!" He pulled out his revolver and fired it in the air, and his crew scattered.

Once the dust settled down, Callahan chuckled to himself. He turned around and walked back down the street, turned right and entered the saloon. Instead of making a beeline to the counter, the wolf opted to continue walking. Behind the saloon, was a short hallway and it ended in a closed door. Callahan opened it with a tug and he stepped inside. It was an office that was also converted to a private bedroom for the leader. To his right, against the wall a crude mattress on a metal bed frame rested. In the center of the room, a table with a stack of papers could be seen. A spilled bottle of an unidentified alcohol rested on the floor, yet Callahan ignored it. He moved quickly through the room and around to the desk. The wolf pulled the chair out, sat down and started to look through the documents.

The sound of furniture moving caused two she-wolves to waken from their slumber. They both turned and saw Callahan sitting on the chair. Waving their paws, they called out, "Come back to bed!" They begged. "It's early."

Callahan smiled and spoke, "I'll be there in a minute, ladies."

The wolves giggled and laid back down. Callahan turned his attention back to the documents. As he rifled through the stack of papers, he shook his head as each one was not the one he was looking for. Finally, his paw rested on an important paper that his crew had grabbed from the bank vaults of Antelope City. He smiled with victory as he read the title of the page. _This will make me rich and powerful!_

The wolf put the paper back on the desk, pushed his chair back and stood up. He took off his gun belt, and draped it over the back of his chair, turned around and smiled. The leader of the bloodhounds walked forwards, his arms spread apart and spoke, "Alright, ladies. Where were we?"

As he threw himself onto the bed, the morning sun crept higher into the sky, its golden rays sneakily penetrating the wooden boards that was nailed in front of the glass windows, resting upon the paper. Underneath the warming sun, the title of the paper glowed, as it read: ZOOTOPIA RAILROAD SHARES.

/

_Bull Run_

Judy Hopps rolled over in her sleep, her tired body grateful for a mattress that was not solid ground. As she slept, through the night, she did not hear the door open and close, as Nicholas "Doc" Wilde walked into the room, and after spending a few minutes of preparation underneath the help of the moonlight, lay on the floor and fall asleep, his cowboy hat covering his face. As the moon disappeared and as dawn approached, introducing a new day, Judy's ear twitched at the sound of animals waking up outside. At the sound of coughing, Judy's eyes shot open, and the bunny rolled over to her back. She gave a small groan, and stretched her body. The bunny laid on the bed, her eyes cast on the ceiling as she remembered the days past.

Her sons entered her mind and Judy felt her eyes misting up. Immediately she rubbed her eyes and sat up in her bed. The sun peeked from behind the building that was in front of her room, and after measuring its position in the sky, Judy smiled. _They'd be tending to the horses now._ At that thought, pride and a sense of accomplishment filled her soul. They had been through a lot, starting with Virgil's death, then Wyatt's several months later. Her boys were kind, hardworking and smart, and Judy couldn't help but wonder how they turned out to be like those kind of animals.

Her mind moved from her sons and rested upon Henny, causing the bunny to nod to herself. She owed a lot to Henny, and it was under her stern, yet kind tutelage and keen eyes that her boys were molded into the animals that they were today. She glanced at the letter on the letter that rested on the nightstand and sighed, remembering that she had forgotten to mail it when she and her partner had arrived the night before.

A cough from the floor snapped the bunny from her thoughts, and Hopps looked to the end of her bed, where the light shone through the window. Her boots were still there and the bunny moved her attention from the area and towards the mirror in the corner of the room. She smiled to herself.

Doc Wilde was fast asleep, his head at the base of the mirror. He had borrowed a blanket from the barkeep and bundled it into a ball. It served as a pillow for the fox. His jacket was rolled up and tossed carelessly at the front of his feet. His boots, still on his feet were nearly underneath the light of the sun. Wilde subconsciously cleared his throat, his cowboy hat slightly tilting as it rested on his face. His paws were folded across his chest, as his dress pants slowly turned from black to dark brown as dirt and dust started to coat it.

_But there's something missing…_ Judy thought. As she looked around, she realized that Nick had put his gun belt on top of the full size mirror, both .38 and .41 caliber revolvers still resting its holsters.

Judy sighed and sat back down, until her body was touching the wall. Her stomach rumbled quietly, and the bunny nodded to herself. She turned around, and quietly placed her paws on the floor, careful to not wake her partner up. The bunny looked at her clothes and groaned inwardly. After she made herself home in the room, she had immediately left and found a store that was still open. After buying a fresh set of clothes, she had meant to change into them when arriving back to the room. But once she arrived, she had placed the pile on the ground in front of the nightstand, as she turned around to go and attend to her horse.

The clothes were still there, and it was the same outfit that Judy had on, but with a different style. She quickly glanced at the sleeping vulpine and reached a decision. The bunny took a step forward and as she did, the floor creaked loudly, which caused her to stop. Judy looked back at her partner, and after being satisfied that he was still asleep, gave herself more confidence.

She picked up the pile of clothes, turned around and placed it on her bed, her back to the sleeping vulpine. With a small sigh, Judy untied her blue scarf that was around her neck and tossed it on the bed. Next, she unbuttoned her shirt, and slowly looked back and was assured the vulpine was still asleep as told by the snore that he emitted, took it off and laid it on top of the scarf. The bunny quickly grabbed the red buttoned shirt that she bought from the store, and threw her arms through the sleeves, and hastily buttoned it. Next, she undid her belt, put it on top of her discarded clothes, and pulled down her pants, revealing her bushy tail.

From the ground, Doc Wilde watched through half opened eyes, his cowboy hat covering any traces that he was watching. He smiled to himself as he watched his partner quickly change herself. His cough had woken himself up, and noticed that it also woke up Judy. He started to say hello, but immediately decided against it, and continued to pretend to be asleep. The vulpine watched as the bunny grabbed her clothes off the floor and with her back to him, started to change. Doc smiled to himself, but immediately it disappeared as Judy turned to look at him. He emitted a fake snore, which gave more confidence to the bunny. He whistled inwardly as the well-toned bunny revealed her body.

He was disappointed when Judy started to button her shirt, but his joy returned when he realized that she had yet to change out of her pants. But as the pants sank to the floor, Wilde immediately closed his eyes, as he realized that she wasn't wearing any undergarments, fitting for a lady. At that realization, Wilde smiled to himself again, as Judy's voice echoed through his mind, _if you're going to be traveling with me, don't expect me to be ladylike. _

_She is no lady…_ Wilde thought. He was tempted to open his eyes, but decided against it. Instead, he yawned loudly and started to smack his lips. His paw reached upwards to grab his cowboy hat, as the vulpine acted as if he was waking up for the first time.

At the yawn, Judy spun around, quickly. Realizing she had nothing to cover her bottom half of her body, she quickly squeaked, "Wilde! Don't look! I'm changing!"

The fox froze in the middle of his rise. He slowly nodded his head, and keeping his cowboy hat in front of his face, stood up to his full height. "Good morning to you too, darling."

Judy giggled nervously. "Do you mind, steppin' out of the room for a minute?"

Doc nodded, and took a step forward. As he did, his feet came in contact with his jacket, causing himself to become tripped up. The fox fell forward, face first to the ground, and he hit the floor with a thud, and a small "ow."

Judy covered her mouth with shock, momentarily forgetting that she was half naked. Nick popped up, his eyes closed and smiling. He turned around, and spoke "Wrong direction." Raising his cowboy hat to his face, he slowly inched forwards, muttering "Alright… where's the door?"

As he took another step, his foot made contact with the leg of the bed, and the fox swore loudly as he hopped on one foot. His string of curses was interrupted when he started to cough. Keeping his eyes closed, the fox quickly searched for something. Understanding what he needed, Judy stepped forward, grabbed his paw and guided him to the bed.

Doc hacked and coughed, feeling phlegm escaping his throat. In between coughs, he spoke, "Jacket… handkerchief!"

Judy nodded and reached for the brown jacket. A couple of seconds later, she grabbed the handkerchief, and turned around. As she handed it to her partner, the bunny noticed that there were specks of blood. "Wilde?" She asked, "You okay?"

Doc nodded his head, his eyes still closed. "Just somthin' in the air, I reckoned." He answered. After his coughing subsided, the fox stood up and nodded in where he believed Judy was standing. He strode confidently across the room and with his left paw, searched for the door. Finally grabbing the handle, Nick quickly opened it and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

Judy sighed and shook her head, feeling sorry for the unfortunate fox. _At least he didn't see me…_ She reached down and grabbed a new pair of pants from the bed. As soon as her leg entered the pant leg, the bunny heard the door open behind her.

Nick's head popped into the room, his eyes closed. The fox gave a half-smile. "By the way," he spoke. "Your shirt's buttoned wrong. Might wanna fix that before you leave." With that word, he closed the door again.

Judy rolled her eyes and finished dressing herself. She turned around and faced the full size mirror, happy with her outfit choice. Nick's voice entered her mind, about her shirt being buttoned wrong. She stepped forward and her face immediately became red, as she realized that he was right.

_That fox…_

She smiled to herself as the sly fox appeared in her mind. The bunny shook her head and resumed her focus to the task. After fixing her mistake, the bunny grabbed the fox's gun belt, turned around and picked up her rifle. The bunny then grabbed Nick's jacket and slung it over her shoulder and before she left the room, grabbed the letter from the nightstand. She had left her gun belt with Breeze and after taking a couple of minutes looking around the room and making sure that her face was not flushed, she was satisfied that she had everything. With that assurance, Judy turned around and left the room, locking the door behind her.

The bunny made her way through the empty hallway, and when arriving at the railing, she looked down. Nick was at the counter of the bar, a fresh bowl of oatmeal with berries in front of him. A second bowl occupied the empty space next to him. After feeling a pair of eyes on him, the vulpine looked up, and upon seeing the bunny, gave his signature half-smile and then he winked.

Already, Judy could feel her face reddening, and she took a step backwards, out of sight. _Get ahold of yourself, Judy! _She scolded herself. The bunny took a deep breath, turned to her left and started to head down the stairs.

Instead of going to Nick, she made a beeline outside of the saloon doors. The bright sunlight and a cool breeze greeted her, and the bunny looked to her right and saw both Breeze and Midnight enjoying the morning sun. Judy approached her horse, and put her rifle in small slot of the saddle, and patted her animal. "Good morning!"

Breeze nodded her head. _Morning. _She seemed to pause. _How was your first night?_

Judy looked at her horse, confusion evident on her face. Realizing what the horse meant, Judy shook her head. Lowering her voice, she whispered, "We did nothing. I went to bed, he went to bed and we woke up this morning."

Breeze raised her eyebrow. _Uh huh. Then why is your face red?_

Not catching herself, Judy blurted out in a hushed voice, "I think Doc saw me changing this morning."

The horse nickered as if it was laughing. _Hang on… I need to tell Midnight!_

As Breeze moved her head, Judy smacked the horse. "What? No! Do not tell Midnight! My romance life is off hands from this… gossip circle you have!"

Breeze rolled her eyes and shook her main. _Alright… You're no fun._

"Don't think about it." Judy growled, pointing her finger at the palomino. "You spill, and I'll sell you to the first circus I see that comes into town."

_You wouldn't!_

"Don't tempt me." Satisfied that she had the last word, the bunny spun around at her heels and marched into the saloon. After the doors swung shut, she made a beeline to the empty chair that was next to the fox. She tossed his jacket and gun belt on the counter and spoke, "These are yours… You forgot 'em when you were rushing out."

"Thanks, Judy." Doc responded. He stood up and put on his jacket then his belt. "You okay there?" He sat back down and ate another spoonful of oatmeal as he awaited for her answer.

Judy nodded her head. "I'm okay. What about, you?"

Doc looked back at her, his emerald eyes glowing. "Just fine…" he turned and resumed his focus on the bowl. "My mornin' just brightened."

Judy felt her face becoming flushed, and the bunny turned around. A few silent minutes passed, save for the sound of eating, as Judy went through her bowl with a hurry. When she was done, she put her spoon in her bowl, looked at Nick and spoke, "I'm going to buy some coffee from the store and mail somethin'." With that word, she spun around and hurried out of the saloon.

Doc watched her go with a half-smile. He turned around in his chair, and saw the basset hound reaching for her bowl. Before the dog left, he spoke "I heard that. I thought you said you weren't going to score with her last night?"

Doc shook his head. "I didn't."

The barkeep snorted as he looked at the swinging doors of the saloon. "A fox and a bunny? That'll never happen."

Doc's eyes twinkled. He placed his spoon back into the bowl, and reached into his pocket. The barkeep, curious at what the fox was doing, watched. Doc pulled out a stack of playing cards and placed them on the counter. He shuffled them around and as he did, the image of Judy flashed through his mind. It had only been three days, but already he knew that they complimented each other. He shook his head inwardly with amazement as he replayed Judy standing on the rock and yelling at Minho. _She's got guts._

After shuffling his cards, Nick drew the top card and flipped it over. It revealed a Queen of Hearts, and the animal that served as the Queen was a bunny. The fox slyly looked up and spoke, "Well… It's in the cards."

The barkeep rolled his eyes, turned around and walked away with Judy's empty bowl. As the basset hound turned around, Nick immediately slid the card into the same position it was, several cards below from the top card.

The fox chuckled to himself and put the cards back into his jacket pocket. He finished his bowl, pulled out a dollar and slammed it on the counter. The fox spun around and walked across the saloon, until he was outside.

Doc turned to his right and walked on the wooden porch. Once he approached Midnight, he turned and stepped off. Reaching the saddle, Wilde pulled out several fruits and walked back to the horse, and after holding it in his palm, the horse gratefully munched on them.

"Don't worry." Doc spoke, his voice soothing. "We're headin' to Tulare today. There'll be plenty of grass about on the way."

Midnight nodded his head, but said nothing. Breeze looked over from her position and eyed the fox. Wilde chuckled again, and after feeding his horse a second apple, walked to the palomino. After placing an apple on his paw, Breeze grabbed it and munched on it noisily. He patted the horse and stepped aside, until he was standing in front of the palomino.

Several minutes later, the door to the store across the saloon opened. Judy stepped out holding several canisters of coffee beans, and she made a beeline to Breeze. Opening a knapsack that was tied to the saddle, Judy dumped the canisters inside. Once she was done, she tied them shut and turned around, and after placing her paw on her revolver, nodded in acknowledgement.

"What's the plan, Judy?"

"Jack said that we can find Cody in Tulare. Do you know who he is?"

Doc shook his head. "I've never met an animal named Cody." He paused and with as an afterthought, added, "Well, that's a lie. I killed an animal named Cody back in Cheetah Gorge. He thought I cheated, when I won fair and square. Had to defend meself." Nick shook his head, causing himself to get back on track. "Right, but Tulare is a three day and two night ride from here, in that direction." He pointed Southeast.

The bunny nodded again. "Let's get movin'. We're burning daylight." She moved and untied the horse from the post. Within a few seconds, she was already on the saddle. After adjusting her position, she watched as Doc swung himself on top of Midnight. With a paw, she spoke, "Lead the way, Doc."

"With pleasure." At that answer, Nick turned his horse to his left and urged the animal forward. Within a couple of minutes, they were trotting across the familiar plains of Zootopia.

/

_Unknown Location_

The moonlight seeped through the boarded window and shone upon a sleeping Bucky Callahan. He was wedged between two she-wolves, and after a time of play, they had fallen asleep exhausted. Approaching footsteps did nothing to disturb the leader of the Bloodhounds from his slumber, but the door opening and the knob smashing against the wall did.

As Senga stepped inside, he held a lamp in the air. As the glow of the light shone in the dark room, Callahan woke up, and along with him, his two mistresses. The she-wolf in front of the leader immediately pulled a blanket upwards, covering her naked body, and Senga looked away, knowing that he would be at the receiving end of his boss' wrath if he lingered with his gaze.

"Senga!" Callahan growled. "Why are you disturbing me?!"

"Boss. Minho has arrived."

"Grah! Out of my way!" Callahan growled gain, causing his mistress to sit up in bed, allowing the leader some room to wedge through. Senga respectfully kept his eyes on the ground, as the wolf pulled on his clothes. As he did, Callahan barked, "Why didn't you send him in here."

"Because I thought…" Senga gestured to the wolves on the bed. "You wouldn't want to be disturbed by him."

"You thought?" Callahan roared. "You're not paid to think! Otherwise you'd be the leader!" Callahan shook his head. "Why am I surrounded by idiots?" He muttered to himself.

"Boss?"

Callahan was upon him in a flash, his powerful paw around the unfortunate lupine's throate. "I said to send Minho to me and, where is he? Not here!" He yelled, spittle flying out of his mouth.

Senga turned around and fled the room, and as the lamp disappeared around the corner, Callahan rolled his eyes. He put on his boots and after looking at his mistresses, he blew them a kiss. They giggled, and Callahan turned and left the room.

It was quiet outside, save for the hoof beats from the horses a rapidly approaching. Callahan moved off the wooden porch until he was standing in the street. He placed both of his paws on his holstered guns. The lupine stood in that spot for several minutes until the horses screeched to a halt in front of him. The riders all climbed down and stood before their leader.

Callahan scanned the three wolves before him and sighed. The first wolf, Seaeyes was limping. The center wolf, Minho, had a swollen face, and the third wolf, Xavier had scratches across the side of his face.

Taking a deep breath to gather himself, trying to dispel of any rage that was building inside of him, Callahan smiled. At the sight of the leader's smile, Minho smiled back, relieved that his boss was in a good mood.

Pain flashed across his jaw, as Callahan pulled out his revolver and smashed its butt into the side of Minho's face. He started to fall backwards, but Callahan reached out, and grabbed the unfortunate wolf by his collar and steadied him. Putting his face close to his minion, Callahan growled. "Five of you rode off. Three of you returned…Without Jack."

Minho wisely didn't answer, knowing that whatever he said would further vex his boss. The wolf's logic immediately ran out, as Callahan yelled, spittle flying out of his face. "Where is Jack?!"

"Well… boss, it started out like this…" Seaeyes stammered. Callahan spun towards him and pushed the wolf. "Was I talking to you?"

Seaeyes casted his face down on the ground, and silently shook his head. Callahan turned back to Minho. "Explain, and you'd better hope your story is good!"

The leader stepped away from the wolf and started to casually walk around in circles, spinning his revolver around his finger. At the sight of his leader walking, Minho stammered, "Boss… We arrived at Hanging Rock and found Jack. But we were ambushed and they took Jack away. I swear!"

Callahan stopped and looked at the wolves. He calmly placed his gun back into its holster and spoke, "How many of them?"

"Boss?"

Callahan chuckled dangerously. He took one step closer and glared at his minion. "How many animals ambushed you?"

Minho hesitated. He looked sideways at Seaeyes and then at Xavier. Neither wolf offered any help. He swallowed nervously as he turned his attention back to his leader. "Two." He squeaked.

"Two…" Callahan shook his head. "Two animals ambushed five of my best fighting men and killed two of them." He walked back and chuckled. "Tell me they were lions, or tigers or even bears."

Minho was silent, causing his leader to turn around. He looked at Seaeyes and gave a small grin. "Comon, Seaeyes, my good friend. Tell ol' Callahan who ambushed you." He walked over and stood next to the wolf, throwing his left arm over his shoulder and embracing him in a side-hug. "Comon. You can whisper it in my ear."

Seaeyes looked at Minho, and the wolf could only shake his head. Callahan shook Seaeyes and whispered, "Who?"

Gulping nervously, Seaeyes responded. "A bunny" he paused, and continued, "and a fox."

Callahan inched closer, his paw cupping around his left ear. "I didn't catch that. Did you say a bunny and a fox?"

"Yes boss."

The leader of the Bloodhounds stepped away from his minion and slowly nodded his head. "A bunny and a fox…" he paused, his back to Seaeyes. Suddenly, he turned around and drove the toe of his boot against Seaeyes' wound. The wolf howled with pain and crumbled onto the ground. As he cowered in the dirt, Callahan stepped forward and screamed "_A bunny and a fox?" _He emitted a string of curses as he kicked Seaeyes in the side two times.

Controlling his rage, Callahan stepped backwards and started to walk away. Finally he stopped and turned around. "Do you know who they are?"

Hoping to get into his leader's good graces, Minho stepped forward and spoke boldly, "Boss. I heard Jack say that the bunny's name was Judy."

Shock appeared on Callahan's face. He stepped closer to Minho and spoke urgently. "Did she have a white buttoned shirt and a blue scarf? She carries a revolver and a rifle. Think!"

Several seconds passed, and Minho nodded. Callahan stepped away and chuckled to himself. "Judy Hopps…" he muttered. The insane wolf then looked up at the starry sky and screamed, _"Judy Hopps!"_

After he howled with rage, the leader turned around, growling. "I thought I had gotten rid of her after I killed Wyatt. She just couldn't stay away, could she?" The wolf shook his head. "Now she's going to ruin _my _plan and everything I've worked for!" In his rage, the wolf pulled out his revolver.

Minho was dead before he even hit the ground, the bullet smashing through his head. Callahan took a step forward and emptied the entire chamber into Minho's lifeless body. As blood poured out, seeping the dirty ground, Callahan screamed "You're useless! _Useless!_"

He took several steps back, breathing heavily and holstering his revolver. Seaeyes whimpered with fear from the ground, and Xavier had not moved from his standing position. "We still need Jack…" Callahan muttered. "He was at Hanging Rock, so the closest town is Bull Run…" Reaching a decision, he nodded to himself. Directing his words to both Seaeyes and Xavier, Callahan spoke with discontent. "Go throw this idiot in the ditch and let the ravens feast off him. When yore done, I have a job for the two of you."

With that statement, Callahan turned around and walked back to the saloon, the night becoming peaceful once again.

/

_Somewhere in the Wilderness of Zootopia_

They had ridden for two days and camped for one night. As they left the dry plains of Bull Run, Judy Hopps was pleased to see the dirt disappearing as green grass reappeared. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde had kept them on a Southeasterly course, and they rode in that direction until they reached a river. After spending two hours to rest and allow the horses to drink and regain their energy, the bunny and the fox remounted and instead of continuing their direction, they turned due south, following the river.

Judy had inquired as to why they were not heading in their original direction and was satisfied with Nick's answer. The fox had explained that Tulare was a river town, and that the river ran a North-South direction. It was easier to head South-East from Bull Run than a direct Easterly course, despite the fact that an Easterly course would have gotten them to the river a day shorter, but made the total travel time longer. Nick explained a Southeastern and then South course saved them a day and he had assumed that time was not on their side.

At first, Judy was upset, but when she mulled over Nick's explanation, she realized that the fox was right. They already had water rations for the horse, so there were no reason to get to the river and spend four days and three nights in the wilderness. As she listened to Breeze splash water on the banks of the river, Judy smiled to herself. She was happy that she made the decision in allowing the fox to tag along.

Both the bunny and fox rode alongside the river until the sun started to set. As soon as the sun reached the midway point beneath the horizon, Nick pulled Midnight to a stop. He looked around at his surroundings and was pleased with what he saw.

With the river behind him, there were smooth dirt, washed ashore by the river for eons. Beyond the dirt were grass and some bushes. Trees dominated the scene beyond the grass, and the leaves swayed with the wind. But unlike the dry patched grass of the plains, which served as kindling for the fire, the healthy grass controlled the area. But Nick knew he would find dead leaves, bark and branches from the small forest. Reaching a decision, he spoke, "We stop here."

"But why?" Judy protested. She measured the sun's position and spoke, "We still have an hour left."

Nick shook his head. "We're between Bull Run and Tulare. This is Redeye territory, a gang of sad weasels who bother travelers. They like to attack at night." He gestured towards the rushing river and continued, "And they can't approach us from behind. If they come from the trees, they'll have a long ways to run to reach us, and by then, they'll all be dead."

Nick dismounted and spoke, "The Redeyes are smarter than this. They won't attack us. It'll be their loss if they do." With that word, Nick took off Midnight's saddle and as he placed it on the ground, he continued, "And Midnight'll warn us if he hears any cause for trouble."

Judy nodded her head. "You're right, I suppose." She followed suit and within several minutes, Breeze walked several feet away and was gratefully munching the grass next to the black horse. As she got busy getting dinner ready, Nick disappeared into the forest. He emerged ten minutes later with a handful of branches, leaves and dead plants.

As the moon appeared, Nick already had a campfire going. Judy leaned against her saddle, warming her paws and grateful for the heat. Nick was on the other side of the fire, his back to the trees and after watching the bunny, stood up. He strode over to his partner and sat next to her. As Judy inquisitively looked at him, the fox reached into his pocket and pulled out playing cards and spoke, "Blackjack?"

Judy sighed and nodded her head. Nick shuffled the cards and after splitting the deck, dealt the cards. After he was done, he flipped over his card and spoke, "So… You asked me how I knew your husband, and I don't mean to intrude in your business…" He paused as Judy looked at her cards and requested for another one. Nick obliged, dealing a card and spoke, "How'd you meet him?"

"Well, that's a long story. "Judy spoke. "Short one bein' he fancied me with tales of adventure… Stay." At the sound of her command, Nick flipped over his own card and continued to play. "I traveled with him all over back east and he taught me how to use a gun, track and stuff like that. We hunted down gang members and generally protected towns."

Nick nodded his head, and requested her cards. Judy flipped over and showed that she had a total value of twenty, and Nick shook his head as the bunny beat him. He grabbed the cards and put them back into his deck, shuffled and re-dealt, all while Judy spoke, "Wyatt passed away, and after that, I decided I was done with the huntin' life and moved West with my two sons and Henny."

"Henny?"

"A maid…" Judy started. She stopped herself and spoke "Well… I'm not sure what she is. She was under Wyatt's employment and after he died, she stuck with us. She helps around the farm."

Nick nodded his head. "And your boys? How old are they?"

Judy looked at her cards and tapped on the ground. After Nick dealt a third card, she spoke, "Fifteen and seven." She smiled.

At the sight of her smile, Nick started to smile, but then his smile disappeared when Judy spoke, "You said that you used to have a kid. This may not help, but… I'm sorry."

Nick resumed his focus back on his hand and nodded. "Thanks."

Judy shrugged. "May I ask what happened?"

The vulpine looked up and gave a polite smile. "I'd rather I not talk about it."

"Nick…" Judy spoke. "Sometimes it helps to talk."

"No offense, darlin'." Nick snapped. "But I barely know you." He looked up and his anger seeped away at the sight of Judy's expression.

The fox sighed. After gathering his thoughts, he spoke, "I'm sorry."

"No." Judy shook her head. "It was my fault. It's not my business."

"Thanks Judy." Nick smiled. The bunny smiled back and returned playing the game. They were silent for several hands as the fire crackled in the background. Behind them, they could hear the river's current washing against the shore, and the two horses eating and communicating.

Finally, Doc broke the silence and spoke, "I screwed up and she died."

"She?" Judy paused, looking up from her cards. "What was her name?"

A couple of minutes of silence passed, and Doc spoke, standing up. "Right. I'm going to get some sleep." He grabbed the playing cards off the ground and after putting them in his jacket pocket, walked over to where he was planning on sleeping. Judy sighed as she watched Doc walk away. She watched as he stopped for several seconds, and pull out a pocket watch. After he clicked it open, Judy moved to attempt to see what he was looking at. The glow of the fire did not help, as Nick closed the watch and place it back into his pocket. He laid on the ground, took off his cowboy hat and placed it over his head.

Judy sighed and looked at the fire. A cool breeze brushed against her cheek, and with a soft and clear voice, her song carried over the wind.

I once had a daughter

She was aged two

With a twinkle in her eye

And a bow in her hair

She looked at me and said

'I love you.'

She'd play in the woods

She'd play near the sea

As she became older

And when she'd move away

I'd always know in my heart

She'd return to me

Judy held the last note longer than usual, her clear voice breaking the silence of the night. When she was done, she sighed, and closed her eyes. Within a few minutes, she was fast asleep, underneath the watchful eye of the sky.

As Nick listened to her song, his mind wandered elsewhere. He took a deep sigh and thought, _I miss you…_

The next morning, the fox and the bunny broke camp after the sun broke the horizon. As they were packing, Nick spoke, "If we keep this trail and we take one break, we'll reach Tulare by the afternoon." He stood up and nodded. "We'll make good time." He grabbed the saddle and swung around, walking to Midnight. As he did, something fell out of his vest pocket.

The light reflected off the item and it caught Judy's face. She moved away from her task and the bunny bent down and picked it up. It was Nick's pocket watch. She sighed and looked up at the vulpine, who was busy saddling his horse. Ignoring the temptation, the bunny walked forward and upon arriving at the vulpine's side, she spoke "You dropped this."

Nick fastened the last strap on Midnight and turned to look at her. Once he saw what she was holding, the fox immediately reached into his pocket. Once he felt an empty space, he grabbed the watch out of her paw and shoved it back in there. "Did you look into it?" Doc spoke, his voice full of pain.

Judy shook her head. "It's not my business."

Nick nodded slowly. "Thanks."

With that word, he swung himself up on the horse. After Judy jumped onto Breeze, Nick nodded again. "We should reach Tulare just after noon. Ready?"

The bunny nodded and within a couple of seconds, they were racing along the river towards Tulare.

/

_Tulare_

Tulare was nothing like Judy had experienced. As they rode through the town heading for a hotel, Judy observed the scene before her. She gathered that there was only one hotel, one store and one Sherriff's station. Few animals of varying species walked amongst the side of the road, all casting suspicious glances at the riders.

"What's going on?" Judy whispered to her partner. "Why's everyone looking at us?"

Doc shrugged. "They hate strangers. Tulare used to be a major town at the river. We'd have rafts and steamships come south from Bull Run and Antelope City. But with the railroad," Nick nodded in the direction. As he did, Judy followed his gaze and saw tracks behind some houses. "Business suffered and everyone moved out." The fox smiled to himself. "But I love Tulare. Animals really leave each other alone here."

They both rode in silence. After a couple of minutes passed, Nick spoke, "Come on. I know the owner of the hotel."

"You do?"

"Like I said. I spent quite some time here."

Judy nodded gratefully. She navigated Breeze through the empty street and within a couple of minutes, found herself in front of the hitching post at the hotel. Nick jumped off Midnight, tied the rope to the post and quickly walked inside the hotel.

The bunny followed suit. As soon as she tied the rope to the post, a cry of joy was heard from the inside. She quickly walked through the door, and saw Nick hugging a black furred fox. "Doc Wilde!" the fox spoke. "What brings you here?"

Stepping backwards, Nick took off his hat and using it, gestured towards Judy. "She does."

The fox looked at the petite bunny and gave a huge smile. "And who is this?"

"Judy Hopps, sir." The bunny answered, reaching out with a paw. The older fox smiled again and grabbed it. Instead of shaking it, he leaned down and kissed it. "And a beautiful bunny."

Nick rolled his eyes and the fox chuckled. "This is John Henry." Nick spoke. "We grew up together."

Henry smiled and nodded his head. He walked away from them and reached the counter. He grabbed three glasses and poured a liquid out of the bottle into each glass. The fox turned around and handed each glass to his guests and spoke, "To friends!"

"To friends." Nick responded. The two foxes took a swig and placed the glasses on the counter. They turned and looked at Judy, who was still holding her glass. She smiled weakly and sniffed it, the unfamiliar scent washing over her. Finally, she summoned her courage and took a drink.

It burned her throat and it was nothing she had ever tasted. Both foxes cheered as she swallowed and placed the glass on the counter. Judy coughed several times and after regaining her composure, she wheezed. "What was that?"

"Homemade moonshine!" John Henry spoke, gleefully. "And because you drank it and didn't puke, I can trust you."

Judy looked at Nick and the fox shrugged. "Oh good." She turned around and placed her paws on the counter, coughing.

John Henry chuckled and returned his attention back to Doc. "What can I do for you?"

The orange vulpine nodded his head. "We need a room."

"_Two_ rooms," Judy emphasized holding up two fingers. "Two rooms please." At that response, John Henry looked at Nick and raised an eyebrow. Nick responded mouthing, "I'll tell you later."

After John Henry nodded, Nick spoke, "And we're looking for an animal named Cody. We were told to find him in Tulare. Do you know if he's hereabouts?"

The black furred fox thought for a couple of minutes. Slowly, he nodded, speaking. "I know who you're talking about. There's only one Cody here."

"Great!" Nick exclaimed. "Where can I find him?"

John Henry smiled. "He just walked in." He pointed at a corner, where a round table was. Sitting in two chairs was a giant buffalo, and a red furred vixen. "That's him."

Nick stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Cody? I'd guess it's the giant male buffalo huh?"

John Henry rolled his eyes and spoke, "Anything else?"

Doc looked at Judy and the bunny shook her head. "That's everything, Johnny. Thanks."

"Anytime."

With that statement, the black furred fox turned around and walked through a door, leading into a kitchen. Judy and Nick glanced at each other and the fox shrugged. The bunny sighed and walked forward. She moved around several tables and arriving at the buffalo and the fox's table, she pulled out a chair and spun it around, sitting on it backwards. Nick stood behind her, one paw on his revolver and with the other paw, took his hat off and held it at his side.

The giant buffalo, wearing a brown plaid shirt and a brown pair of pants which blended into his fur, glanced at the bunny suspiciously. "Whaddyer want?" he spoke with a heavy western accent.

"We're looking for an animal. Goes by Cody. You him?"

Cody grunted and looked at the fox. "Who's askin?"

"My name is Judy Hopps and this is my partner, Doc Wilde. We were told that we could find you here."

"And your travel is for naught." Cody grunted. "Whatever you have to say, I'm not interested."

"It's about Bucky Callahan."

Cody looked quickly at the bunny. "Callahan?" he growled. "Are you with him?" At that statement, the red furred fox pushed her chair backwards, and pulled out a revolver, leveling it at Judy's head. In response, Doc pulled out his own gun and took aim at the fox. He measured his target and spoke with a small smile. "Looks like you're outgunned, honey."

"Sit back down, Annie." After the vixen glared at Cody, he looked back. "Sit down." The vixen sighed and holstered her gun. She glanced at the vulpine, and he followed suit. Nodding her head, the vixen sat back down.

"My apologies, Miss Hopps." Cody spoke. "This is my colleague, Annie Oakley. Frontierswoman, scout and skilled with that revolver and rifle of hers." He paused and drummed his hands on the table. "Why're you talking about Callahan?" he mused.

"We're hunting him down. He hit several towns and robbed banks. Hurt innocent people. Doc and I are putting a little posse to stop him, and we heard that you're a good shot. You came with a glowing mark from One-Eyed Jack. Wanna join?"

Cody chuckled. "One-Eyed Jack, eh? What's that devil up to these days?"

Doc winked. "You know, just causin' general mischievousness."

"Aye… I bet he is." The giant buffalo nodded knowingly.

Silence passed between the three conversationalists, as Cody looked between Nick and Judy. After several minutes passed, he nodded his head and stroked his beard. "I have no love for Callahan and I hate him as much as the next animal. So… I'll join."

Judy smiled. "Great!" She stood up and looked at Nick. "Should we go back to Bull Run?"

Her question was interrupted when Cody raised his hand. "But it's not that easy, Miss Hopps. You see… I had a travelin' show and on the road here, my group and I were attacked by the Redeye Gang. They made off with my rifle."

Judy slowly sat back down. "So you can't help us?"

Cody smiled. "Oh I can help you… and I've been meaning to go after my rifle." The buffalo looked between the vulpine and the bunny. "And somthin' tells me that you can handle yourselves in a scrap… You help me find the rifle and I'll join you."

Judy looked at Doc and the fox shrugged again. She looked back at the buffalo and nodded her head. She stuck her paw out and shook it. "You've got yourself a deal, Mr. Cody."

The large buffalo smiled as he accepted it. "My name is William Cody, but folks round these parts call me Buffalo Bill."


	7. Chapter 7: The Redeye Gang

Chapter 7: The Redeye Gang

"_I've got nothing to fear. Any coward shooting from night ambush will be too nervous to hit me."_ ~Elijah S. Brant when warned he would get shot.

_Bull Run_

The hot afternoon sun shone down on the rider, as he urged his horse forward. He had been on the trail for several days, and knew that he needed to get to Bull Run with speed. Dirt and small pebbles kicked up behind him as he thundered across the plains. Anxiety clawed at his gut, and grew more noticeable as the town, once a speck in the distance, grew larger and larger. The rider cleared his throat, and looked to his right. He spat, the wad of spit sailing out of his mouth and landing on the ground, already behind him. After taking several seconds to wipe the saliva that was left on the side of his cheek, the rider urged his horse harder.

Within an hour, and the setting sun starting to dip below the horizon, the rider reached Bull Run. Ignoring the pedestrians crossing the street, and the cries of indignancy as he quickly plowed through the street, the rider made his way to the sheriff's station. As soon as he pulled his horse to a stop, the door to the building opened. A cape buffalo, holding a rifle stepped out, momentarily shielding his eyes with his left hand from the setting sun. He had heard the commotion and after looking through the window, saw that the rider was making his way to the station. He told Clawhauser to stay put, and had grabbed his rifle and walked out on the deck to meet him.

At the sight of the cape buffalo, the rider nodded his head. He reached down to his left, and pulled out a canteen of water. After taking a sip, he spoke "You the Sheriff of this here town?"

"That I am," Bogo nodded in response. "What's it to you?" The cape buffalo gripped his rifle.

Seeing the movement, the rider responded, "I've come with a message. If you'll allow me, I can get the letter out of my knapsack, here."

Bogo relaxed, yet he kept a suspicious eye on the animal. "Go ahead. Who's it from?"

"I don't know sir. All I was told was to get the letter to you with all speed possible." With that statement, the rider reached behind him, and after a couple of seconds ruffling through the knapsack, pulled out the letter.

He handed the letter to the cape buffalo and awaited a response. After Bogo took the letter in his hand, he saw the red waxed seal. At that sight, his heart dropped, and Bogo sighed heavily. The Sheriff slowly placed the rifle on the ground, until it was leaning against the post that supported the roof. He nodded to himself and looked up. "Thanks. If you need a place to stay, look at the Pink Pony."

The rider nodded. "Thank you. But I need to keep going. I've got to return."

"I understand." Bogo answered. "Tell him that I'll be along within a few days."

"That I can do." With that word, Bogo watched as the rider pulled his horse around and gallop through the town, ignoring the indignant cries by the pedestrians. Within a few seconds, the rider turned a street corner and disappeared from sight.

The Sheriff of Bull Run sighed, as it seemed the burden on his shoulders grew by every second. In his hand, he clutched the letter. Turning around, the cape buffalo opened the door and stepped inside his station. It was stifling hot, and the cells remained empty, save for one. A jackrabbit laid on one of the mattresses, his one good eye rolling around in his head. He was looking at the ceiling and chuckling madly to himself.

Bogo shook his head. He wished that One-Eyed Jack wasn't in his station, but he knew that it was his duty to care for him until he could make an appointment with Judge Abernathy, an aardvark who oversaw the courts of Bull Run, Deer Creek, and Tulare. Last Bogo had heard, Judge Abernathy was doing his rounds in Deer Creek and that was a week ago. Once he was done, it would take Abernathy several days for the aardvark to arrive to Bull Run. Until then, Bogo knew that he was stuck with the crazed rabbit.

"What's that you got there, Sheriff?" Clawhauser spoke up, his voice interrupting Bogo's thoughts.

Bogo looked away from One-Eyed Jack and focused on the fat cheetah. He sighed and shook his head. "Probably nothin' good, the way our luck has been goin' the past several months."

"Who's it from?"

Bogo glared at the cheetah. "An old friend of mine. He's helped me with somethin' and I owe him a favor. I guess he's here to collect." He stopped himself and spoke, "Why am I explaining myself to you? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Clawhauser jutted a thumb at the jackrabbit in the cell. "Other than keeping an…" the cheetah paused for dramatic effect, "_eye_ on him?" He smiled at his own joke.

Bogo only rolled his eyes and shook his head. He groaned audibly as he made his way around his desk and pulled back his chair. After sitting down, Clawhauser continued, disheartened by the fact that his joke wasn't appreciated, "I've got nuthin' else."

The cape buffalo only nodded to himself as he settled in his chair. He grabbed his spectacles and after putting it on, started to break the wax seal that held the letter together. After the red wax crumbled down onto his desk, Bogo unfolded the letter and started to read.

_July 2__nd__ 1825_

_Sheriff Bogo,_

_ I regret writing this letter to you, but I have no choice. I know that we are friends and we have helped each other many times in the past. I have never and continue to do so, held any favors that you owe me over your head, and it is my sincere hope that because of this, you will come to my aid. If you do come, you can clear your conscience once and for all about any favors that you may owe me. _

_ Yesterday, a group of six wolves, attacked the bank in Applehill. Unfortunately, they made it off with the items stored within. However, we have taken a captive. My deputy shot him, and he had fallen off his horse. The wolf told the rest of his crew to continue, and we gave chase. But after an hour of hard riding, they were able to elude us. But as to the wolf that is in our custody, his name is Charlie Vane. He is currently being held at my station in Applehill, and I need to transport him to Springfield to put him on the train to Wolf's Spring where he will face trial. _

_ As you know, this is Charlie Vane, Bucky Callahan's number one wolf. I am trying to organize a small group to help me to bring him to Springfield alive. I don't think that Callahan will return to free him, but I want to take every precaution possible. This is why I am writing this letter to you, Bogo. I need your help. Please come with haste, or our efforts would have been for naught._

_ J.B.H_

_ Sheriff of Applehill_

Bogo sighed and placed the letter on the desk. He took the time and reread it, making sure that he didn't miss any piece of information. After he finished, he beamed and jumped up, his chair clattering against the ground.

Clawhauser jumped, and One-Eyed Jack stopped his incoherent rambling. The jackrabbit sat up on his bed, his one eye blinking curiously. "What's goin' on, Bogo?"

"I've got to make a trip, Clawhauser." Bogo responded, moving around the desk and walking across to the cabinet in front of him. After he pulled it open, the sheriff grabbed another revolver and placed it in his second holster. The cape buffalo turned around and spoke, "You're in charge."

Clawhauser nodded. "How long'll you be gone?"

"Around two weeks. Maybe more."

"And what're you doin?"

Bogo smiled at the fat cheetah. "The sheriff of Applehill's got an animal in custody. I'm headin' over there to make sure he gets to Springfield alive to go on the train to Wolf's Spring. And Clawhauser… this animal is Charlie Vane!"

At the sound of Charlie's name, a wild screech was emitted from One-Eyed Jack. The jackrabbit rolled off his bed and crawled on all fours across the small room until he was stopped by the metallic bars. "Wait, Sheriff!"

Bogo turned to look at the insane rabbit, one eyebrow raised inquisitively.

"Vane still owes me money!" One-Eyed Jack spoke. "And since he hasn't paid up yet, I was hopin' you'd settle the score for me!"

"No." Bogo responded immediately.

"But Sheriff! It's somethin' simple. Somethin' easy!" Jack's voice dropped to a whimper. "Take pity on an old jackrabbit!"

Bogo sighed, and looked at Clawhauser. The fat cheetah could only shrug and the sheriff looked back at the rabbit. "What'd you want me to do?"

One-Eyed Jack giggled, showing his toothy smile. Reaching out with his paws until it was holding onto the metal bars, Jack leaned in and spoke, "When you'd get to Vane, I want you to grab him by the ears and sink every teeth that you've got in his _neck!" _Jack screeched insanely, as he bit onto the metal bars.

Bogo rolled his eyes as the rabbit continued to chomp on the bars of the jail. He turned around and looked at Clawhauser, and spoke "Good luck with this 'un."

"Wait! Before you go, promise me one thing." Jack screeched again.

Deciding to humor the rabbit again, Bogo turned around. "What?"

"Tell me what he tasted like!" With that statement, the rabbit fell backwards, cackling insanely. Bogo shook his head, turned around, opened the door and stepped outside. Within a few minutes, he was at his house, gathering supplies.

Within an hour, and the sun disappearing beneath the horizon, the cape buffalo had mounted his horse. After turning around, Bogo galloped out of town and into the plains beyond, unaware that two pair of eyes rested upon him.

/

_Tulare_

The night breeze blew through the air, causing the leaves of the forests to rustle, disturbing the quiet night. The silvery crescent moon shone its light, barely illuminating the small town of Tulare. Every business was closed and locked up for the night. Those that were still awake, soon blew out their candles and settled in for the night. The last candle to be blown out was the light in the Sherriff's station, as the two-animal team retired to their beds, their bellies full and their cells empty. Outside of the station, the river was calmer, unfettered from the strong winds earlier in the day. The water gurgled, as the once busy wooden docks to the sandy banks bobbed up and down.

A train whistle was heard, reminding the animals of Tulare that it was the railroad, which caused the businesses to suffer. Within a few minutes, a train, carrying cargo and passengers, sped past the small town, heading for the bigger cities such as Deer Creek and Bull Run. But the racket of the machinery did nothing to destroy the quiet of the night. Down at John Henry's hotel, a bunny laid in her bed, fast asleep. The din caused by the train failed to reach her ears, as her mind wandered into the land of dreams.

_The sun beat down Judy Hopps' back as she worked on the dirt. It was planting season, and she sighed wearily. The harvest has not been good for her, but she was not willing to give up. Every day, she awoke, went outside and toiled the ground, from sunrise to sunset without fail. Every day, the farmer told herself that there would be a miracle in the form of a storm appearing in the distance, to send rain to the once fertile valley._

_ She stood up, hoe in hand and straightened her back, her muscles protesting from hours of being bent downwards. The farmer transferred the hoe from her right to her left paw and used the right to dust off her red and blue striped shirt. The sound of pawsteps reached her ears, and the bunny looked backwards. Her sons, Morgan and Samuel, walked several yards behind her, with pouches slung around their shoulders. Their paws reached inside the bags, and grabbed some seeds. The boys then placed them into the dirt, ready to be planted._

_ Judy smiled to herself. The boys had been outside, helping her, day in and day out. She looked up towards the sky and saw that the sun had passed its zenith and started to descent. The bunny nodded, dropped her hoe next to the small ditch that she had made and spoke out loud. "Right. Time for lunch." _

_ The farmer strode forward and after placing her paws on the top of both of her sons' head, she urged them towards the house. Not saying a word, the two bunnies turned and did their mother's bidding. They walked across the dirty ground, and once arriving at the shade of the deck, Judy took off her hat and beat it against her leg several times, dust flying out. Morgan turned around and selected a barrel, which was next to the door, and jumped on it. Taking a couple of minutes to take off his boots, the eldest bunny jumped down and walked inside the house. Samuel did the same, instead the youngest elected to sit on the edge of the deck, and he walked inside also._

_ After Samuel opened the door, the smell of freshly baked bread wafted through the air and caused Judy's stomach to rumble. She smiled to herself as she followed Samuel's example, sitting on the edge of the deck and taking off her boots. Instead of immediately going inside, the farmer elected to stay outside and inspect their hard work._

If only we had rain…_ Judy thought to herself sadly. The past several years had been hard on her and the boys. Yet, she was proud of her sons, not once complaining and obeying every word. After looking across her land in the valley, the bunny slowly stood up and stretched one more time._

_ The farmer turned around and started to head into the farmhouse. As she took a step forward, a noise stopped her in her tracks, and she looked back with shock. The sky darkened as the sun disappeared behind the clouds. Several seconds later, water droplets started to fall out of the sky, and hit the dirty ground with a small splash. The smell of fresh rain overcame the strong odor of food, which was emanating from the farmhouse. Judy opened her mouth with surprise, and still under the roof of her porch, slowly and shakily held a paw out. The water droplet splashed against her palm, providing relief from the hot and dusty climate of the valley._

_ The farmer laughed out loud and stepped out from under the roof. She looked up at the sky and closed her eyes, enjoying the sensations that the rain provided against her skin. Within a few seconds, the rain started to fall heavier and harder. With her eyes closed, and her arms outstretched towards the sky, Judy stood unmoving, wishing that the rain would never end._

_ A noise erupted from behind her, yet Judy stood motionless, enjoying the rain that she thought she would never see. Suddenly, a heavy paw landed on her right shoulder, forcing her to turn around. She snapped her eyes open and was face to face with an older bunny._

_ His bright blue eyes were dimmed with worry, as he looked down to his right. There, shielded under his arm was a younger bunny. The man looked up and met Judy's eyes, and spoke "You need to take him and get him out of here. Go back to Henny and Samuel."_

_ Judy shook her head. "He's small. He can hide. Let me help you."_

_ "You can't, Judy… You know that."_

_ "But Wyatt, we've always done things together. We can take him down together!"_

_ The older bunny shook his head. "He wants me and only me. Please get out of here, Judy!"_

_ The farmer could feel her eyes filling up with tears as she took her son. "Wyatt, let me help you!" She pleaded._

_ Wyatt Hopps smiled sadly, as he leaned in. The two kissed deeply, and after they were done, Judy's husband knelt down and looked at Morgan. He sighed and clutched his shoulders. With a deep voice, full of sadness and comfort, Wyatt spoke, "Be strong, son. Care for your mother and always look to the future."_

_ With a small voice, Morgan, still young to understand, nodded his head, "Yes, Father."_

_ With that word, Wyatt stood up and looked at Judy. He nodded his head and spoke, "I love you."_

_ Tears rolled freely down the bunny's cheek as she nodded her head, ignoring the rain that was pelting against her back. "I love…"_

_ The sentence was interrupted as a gunshot noise was heard. Wyatt lurched forward and fell onto the ground, his paw clutching his right shoulder. Judy looked at her husband with shock, and stood as still as a statue. A small cry of fear was emitted from Morgan, who immediately looked away and wrapped his arms around his mother's left leg._

_ Wyatt groaned and slowly stood up, blood spilling out of his shoulder and through his finger. With a painful grunt, the bunny pulled out his revolver and spoke with urgency, "Run!"_

_ "No! I won't leave you!"_

_ "Run, Judy! Get out of here!"_

_ "No! Please… NO!"_

_ Another gunshot was heard, the bullet penetrating through Wyatt's left abdomen. He took a step forward, crying with pain. With his bloodied paw, the bunny gave Judy a shove, and the farmer finally sprang into action. She leaned downwards, picked up her son, turned around and fled. Once she arrived to Breeze, several yards away, Judy threw her son on the saddle, before climbing on, herself. Turning her horse around, the farmer turned her head back at her husband. _

_ The rain was getting harder, and the wind was blowing faster. But the elements of nature seemed to not bother Wyatt. He stood his ground with blood oozing out of his shoulder and back. Wyatt raised his revolver and took aim. He fired once into the darkness. In response, another gunshot noise was heard, and Wyatt fell backwards onto the ground. _

_ Out of the darkness, a smiling wolf approached the fallen bunny. He took several steps forward and looked down at his mortal enemy. With his left paw, he holstered one of his revolvers, and looked up at Judy, who was watching from the distance. Not breaking eye contact with her, the wolf's smile turned into a sneer as his right paw squeezed the trigger._

_ The door slammed shut behind her, snapping Judy from her trance. She found herself standing outside in the farmhouse, her arms still stretched, touching the sky. The rain had slowed down, yet it still provided the same comfort. She slowly lowered her arms and turned around, looking at the house._

_ The once bright house, adorned with candles inside, was quiet and dark. The wind had blown, causing the door to slam shut. Judy took a step forward, her right paw resting nervously on her revolver. She took a step onto her deck, and the wood creaked with protest. With her left paw, stretched outwards, the bunny cautiously opened the door._

_ She was greeted with darkness. The farmer took another step and crossed the threshold. As soon as she did, the door slammed behind her, causing her to jump. The pitch black enveloped her, yet she quashed any uprisings of fear that threatened to consume her. "Henny? Boys?" she called out, to no avail. Taking a deep sigh, the bunny raised her left paw and put it to her side. After she made contact with the wall, she kept her left paw on it, and started to walk._

_ Judy counted her steps, and once she reached the fifth step, she immediately stopped. The bunny slowly moved her hand down the wall, and nodded with satisfaction, as she a table that was against it. Turning to her right, the bunny took another step forward and found a door. Pushing it open, she was greeted with silence as the light from outside did nothing to brighten the kitchen._

_ The farmer moved quickly through the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread was gone, replaced with dust and mold. Summoning her courage, the bunny called out, "Henny? Morgan…. Samuel?"_

_ Silence reigned the room, and after spending several seconds to gather herself, the bunny started to walk to the door. She drew her revolver and placed her left paw on the door knob. After twisting it, the bunny opened the door to the living room of her house. Judy was greeted with a single candle glow from behind the couch. _

_ Keeping her revolver out, Judy quickly looked around, and after she was satisfied that no one else was there, the bunny started to walk. She cautiously made her way around the couch, and once she did, the familiar scent of death overcame her. The farmer instinctively gagged, momentarily lowering her revolver, as she continued around. As soon as she did, she dropped her revolver to the ground with shock, as she raised her left paw to cover her mouth._

_ Before her, in a pool of blood, laid three animals. Henny, Morgan and Samuel were all on their backs, their eyes staring vacantly at the ceiling. Each animal had a bullet wound evident on their foreheads, as decaying skin was displayed in patches. Unable to tear her eyes away, Judy could feel tears starting to form. As she wept, she was unaware that another animal approached her from behind._

_ The cocking of the hammer was heard, and Judy was greeted with the cool metal of the barrel of the revolver resting against the back of her head. The animal leaned in closer, exhaling heavily. The bunny shuddered as the hot breath washed over her, yet she could not bring herself to face her enemy._

_ "This is what'll happen, if you go after me." Bucky Callahan spoke with a snarl in his voice "Everyone you love and everyone you ever held dear, will die. Once they're all gone, you'll come crawlin' to me, begging to be joined with your loved ones. When that happens, I'll be there to give you the gift you'll be wantin'."_

_ Judy gasped, as she felt the barrel move away from her head. Callahan turned around and walked away, his footsteps disappearing into the darkness. As soon as he disappeared, Judy sunk to her knees, and started to wail out loud, her heart broken and her spirit crushed._

_ "Judy!" A voice was heard, and the bunny slowly looked up from her tear-stained paws._

_ Her youngest son, Samuel had sat up, his dead eyes unblinking. His mouth opened and moved, yet it wasn't his voice. "Judy!" _

_ It was another animal… someone she knew. Judy searched in her mind for the familiar voice. Samuel's mouth moved again, as it became louder. "Judy! Are you okay?"_

_ Suddenly, Samuel reached out with his paws and grabbed the bunny by her shoulders. He leaned in closer, the scent of death stronger than ever. "Judy! Wake up!"_

_ As soon as her son clutched her shoulders, Judy balled her right paw into a fist and punched, making contact with his nose. As soon as she did, Samuel fell backwards, his body hitting the ground, with a small thud._

Judy snapped her eyes open, as her fist made contact with a creature. She scrambled around, clutching the sheets of her bed. She looked around the room wildly, and her eyes rested on some familiar animals. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody stood in the doorway to her room, his right paw around the metal ring that was holding the lantern. Behind him, the black furred fox, John Henry peered curiously around the buffalo's giant frame. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde grunted with pain, his paw around his nose.

"Doc! Callahan was here!" Judy spoke, breathlessly. "He was here!"

Nick took a step forward, shaking his head. "Darlin', there's no one here, other than us." He groaned again and shook his head. He took his paw off his nose and looked at it. There was a small drop of blood, then gave a small smile. "You've got a mean right hook with that paw of yours!"

Judy refused to believe her friend. "But! It was so real, Nick… I…" the bunny shook her head.

Buffalo Bill cleared his throat and spoke, his deep western accent providing a sense of comfort for the beleaguered bunny. "Marm… it was naught but a dream."

Judy looked at the giant animal and fell back against the bed. "I was talkin' again, wasn't I?"

"Screamin' was more like it," John Henry answered. "You're gunna wake up everyone in this hotel!"

"John!" Nick glared at his friend and the black furred fox shrugged. "I've got a business to keep!" the hotel manager responded.

Judy rubbed her face tiredly with her paws. "I'm sorry…" she sighed. "I'm fine… go back to sleep."

John Henry immediately obliged, turning around and leaving the room, his pawsteps getting quieter with each passing second. Buffalo Bill hesitated for a couple of seconds, but after Judy nodded encouragingly, the giant animal took a step forward and handed the lantern to Nick. "Here ya, go."

Nick accepted the lantern, and after the buffalo left the room, he turned and looked at his partner with concern. "That was quite sumthin'" Doc spoke. "Want to talk about it?"

Judy shook her head, drawing her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around it. "Not really."

Unsure of what to do, Nick nodded. Several seconds passed, and the fox spoke, "Well… I'll be in the room next door if ya need me."

"I'm fine!" Judy snapped. "I can take care of myself!"

A small hint of hurt flashed across the fox's face, and Nick nodded uncertainly. "I know you can." With that, he turned around and stepped across the threshold into the hallway. Before moving out of sight, the fox turned around and spoke, "Good night, darlin'" He gave a half-smile before continuing on his walk.

Judy opened her mouth to apologize, but Nick was already gone. With a groan, she fell back onto her bed, and spread her arms wide, staring at the dark ceiling above.

Through her mind, her dream echoed as Bucky Callahan's voice appeared._ "This is what'll happen, if you go after me. Everyone you love and everyone you ever held dear, will die."_ An evil chuckle interrupted her mind, before the wolf continued, "_Once they're all gone, you'll come crawlin' to me, begging to be joined with your loved ones. When that happens, I'll be there to give you the gift you'll be wantin'."_

For the second time that night, Judy started to cry softly. Once her energy was spent, tiredness washed over the bunny, and she fell asleep. That dream did not bother her again for the rest of the night, as Judy was sound asleep until the morning dawn arrived.

As she slept, Doc Wilde was in his own bed, wide awake. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his watch. The vulpine moved his fingers to click it open, but at the last minute, decided against it. Instead, he brought the watch to his lips and he kissed it sadly, before putting it away. The fox rolled to his right, opened the small door to the lantern, and blew the candle out, causing the room to be enveloped into darkness.

/

_Bull Run_

As Seaeyes and Xavier watched the giant buffalo ride away, they immediately made their way into town. They had left their horses several hundred yards out of town, and changed out of their usual clothes that marked them a Bloodhound. Seaeyes donned a long brown duster coat, which covered his dark blue shirt-pant combo that portrayed him as a miner. On his head was a grey tweed hat, and his paws were shoved into the pockets of the coat, yet the wolf could still feel his revolver holstered in his belt. Unlike Seaeyes, Xavier dressed in a tattered dark brown buttoned shirt and grey pants. As usual, around his hips was his gun belt with one revolver, but in his right paw was a bottle.

As soon as they entered Bull Run, Seaeyes looked at Xavier and the wolf nodded. At that nod, Seaeyes turned and started to walk towards a building, with a giant sign that read, "The Pink Pony." Xavier watched his partner enter the building, before turning to his left and walking down the dirt road towards the Sherriff station. Pedestrians of different specie paid no attention to the lone wolf, as Xavier walked unhindered.

After a few minutes of walking, the wolf finally arrived at the deck of the building. Making sure that he was not standing in front of the window, Xavier swayed his body a bit. After summoning his courage, the wolf took a drink out of the bottle and nodded to himself. After swishing the alcohol through his mouth, he swallowed. Xavier then reached into his pocket and pulled out a small clear vial. He undid the lid and poured the small content into the bottle. After he did, Xavier swished the bottle around, the two liquids combining with each other. Finally, he cleared his throat and took a step forward, forcing himself to stumble as he went through the door.

He fell face first onto the ground, and rolled onto his back giggling. Clawhauser quickly stood up out of his chair, concern written all over his face. The fat cheetah looked at the antelope who was laying on the mattress, and the antelope shrugged. The deputy sighed, walked towards the wolf, and grabbed his shoulders, pulling him up.

Xavier spoke, slurring his words to the best of his ability. "Please bring me your finest wo…" he stopped and his eyes narrowed. The wolf looked around the room with confusion, and started to giggle again. "Wait… this isn't the…" the wolf winked, "entertaining establishment."

Clawhauser shook his head. "Wrong place, friend. You're in the Sheriff's station." The fat cheetah grabbed the bottle out of Xavier's paw. "And it seems like you have a lot to drink." Keeping a heavy paw on the wolf's shoulder, he started to guide him towards the cell. "Why don't you spend the night here, sober up, and I'll let you go tomorrow mornin'?"

"But… I wanna…" Xavier hiccupped. "I wanna go…"

Clawhauser shook his head. "You're goin' nowhere, friend." With that statement, the fat cheetah shoved the wolf into the cell. Xavier tripped and fell forwards, his paws reaching out to break his fall. As soon as he hit the ground, he continued his drunken act and looked up at the ceiling, giggling to himself. Finally, the wolf climbed slowly stood up and moved to the dirty mattress. As soon as he sat down, Xavier had to stop himself from smiling broadly.

In front of him, lying on another mattress with his back to the wolf, was a jackrabbit. Xavier rubbed his eyes and yawned to himself. He laid on his back on the mattress and closed his eyes, pretending to be asleep.

An hour passed, and the sun disappeared below the horizon. Xavier's ears perked up as he heard movement. Clawhauser had stood up from his chair and walked to the antelope. He reached inside his pocket, pulled out a key and handed it to his partner. "Alright, it's your turn. I'm going home."

"But, I've been on the night watch last night!" the antelope protested.

"And I've took care of the crazy rabbit all day today," Clawhauser shot back. "You'll have an easier time. They're fast asleep."

Silence passed for a couple of seconds. Finally, the voice of the antelope was heard. "I guess yore right. Give it here, before I change my mind!" Within a few seconds, the door opened and closed, telling the wolf that the fat cheetah was gone from the building.

Xavier turned on to his side, his eyes seemingly closed, as he watched the antelope. The bottle of alcohol was still on the table and the cheetah hadn't touched it, much to Xavier's disappointment. But the wolf slowly smiled to himself as the antelope left his chair and walked across the small room. He finally reached the desk, and sat down in Bogo's chair, his rifle in hand. After looking at the bottle, and back at the wolf, the antelope shrugged. He picked it up and took a deep drink, finishing the bottle in one go. The deputy finally sat down in his chair, and took off his hat. After placing it on the table, the animal closed his eyes and fell asleep

Xavier smiled. With his knowledge of herbs that he learned from his father, the antelope would be in a deep sleep forever. With that thought in mind, the wolf turned on his back and looked up at the ceiling. As he did, he closed his eyes, and waited for his partner to show up.

Another hour passed and the sound of the door being opened alerted Xavier. He yawned and started to giggle again, resuming his drunken act.

Seaeyes' whispered voice cut through his joviality. "Shut up, idiot! Is he dead?"

Xavier stopped and stood up. "As a doornail."

Seaeyes nodded and walked towards the antelope. With a paw, the wolf pushed on the antelope's shoulder. True to Xavier's words, the antelope did not respond to Seaeyes' prodding. The wolf smiled with victory and looked back at Xavier. "Well done! Where's the key?"

"In his pocket. Hurry up won't ya! We need to get him back to Callahan!"

Seaeyes nodded and turned back to the deputy. Within a few seconds, he had the key in paw and walked towards his partner's door. He inserted the key into the lock, twisted it and heard the bolt unclick itself. Xavier pushed against the metal door and it swung open, hitting the other cell with a _clang!_

The wolf stepped out and both lupines looked at the cell across them. On the mattress was the jackrabbit that they were sent to get. Both lupines looked at each other and Seaeyes shrugged. He put the key into the door and unlocked the cell. As soon as he did, One-Eyed Jack sprang off his mattress and barreled through them like a bowling ball, and with a couple of steps, was out of the door.

Seaeyes and Xavier looked at each other, dumbfounded. Then they looked at the wide open door, where Jack had ran out.

Realization struck both lupines and they cursed out loud. They scrambled among each other and started to give chase. As dirt was being kicked up from behind them, both wolves were careful to not cause any noise. They chased Jack up the street, before the jackrabbit rounded a corner and immediately turned right, disappearing in an alleyway.

As Seaeyes and Xavier stopped, Seaeyes nodded. "I'll go this way, and you round him about." As soon as he said it, Xavier winked with agreement, and moved back down the direction they came from. After counting to fifteen, to give Xavier time to reach his position, Seaeyes started to walk. Keeping his paw on his revolver, Seaeyes cautiously walked through the dark alleyway. He looked around nervously, hoping that Xavier was at the other end of the alley. The lupine slowly inched his way to a corner and turned his attention to the right. The small amount of light that the moon gave did nothing to help Seayes to see. He heard movement behind him, and the wolf turned around quickly, his revolver out of the holster and the hammer cocked, all in one motion.

"Hiya, boys!" Jack screeched. Seaeyes fired his revolver and heard another gunshot in response, breaking the once silent night. The wolf smiled with victory as he heard a cry of pain emitted from the darkness. He took one step forward to see his prey, then fell forward onto the ground face first. The wolf was dead!

Several minutes passed, and One-Eyed Jack jumped off the low roof of the building into the small alleyway. He walked towards Seaeyes and pushed his body over, revealing a bullet wound as blood oozed out of it. The crazed rabbit turned around and walked several feet behind him and saw another wolf, this time, was lying on his back, his vacant eyes looking at the night sky.

Jack clapped his hands with glee. Both wolves had shot each other in the darkness. He quickly crawled on all fours and looked out of the alleyway. He smiled a toothless smile as no animal decided to leave their beds to investigate. The rabbit turned around and walked towards Xavier. Grabbing the dead wolf by his shirt, and with a powerful grunt, the insane grave robber started to drag him.

Within an hour, One-Eyed Jack had both wolves out of the town and into the dusty plains. He shook his head and wiped the sweat off his brow. The rabbit looked at both wolves and looked around curiously. Finally, he started to whistle, a shrill noise that once again penetrated the silence.

Nothing happened, and Jack tried again, this time a different tone. He did this several times, before he was greeted with a galloping noise of the horses. Once they arrived, Jack smiled again as he inspected the saddle. He took several minutes to explore the contents, and finally found what he was looking for, a giant hunting knife.

Jack whistled to himself softly and stuck the knife into his mouth, the pointy blade inching its way into his gums, and the insane rabbit licked his lips, relishing the taste of his own blood.

"Now… which one would be better?" He mused to himself. He looked at Seaeyes and nodded his head. "You'll do." With an insane laugh, he got to work, plunging the knife into the body of the dead wolf.

The sun started to reappear from below the horizon, as Jack climbed up on the horse. Grabbing the reigns in his hand, the rabbit turned the horse around and started to trot in a Southeast direction.

Rotting in the morning sun, was the dead body of Xavier, a small pool of blood still around his still form. Next to him, an even bigger pool of blood was evident in the dirt, as Jack whistled to himself. He looked behind him and made sure that the large sack was securely tied to the saddle. With that assurance, the jackrabbit turned his attention toward Tulare, and Judy.

/

_Tulare_

The hot morning sun greeted Judy Hopps as she stepped outside. She instinctively lowered her head, allowing her hat to block the rays of the sun. The bunny stretched her back, hitched up her gun belt and looked around at the small, sleepy town. Animals were finally starting to wake up, evident by loud chatter, which was being emitted from the houses and the hotel behind her. The owner of the lone store flipped their sign around, showing that their business was open, yet they knew that customers would be far few. A door slammed in the distance, as a child, a young monkey, dressed in nothing else but overalls and a pair of brown boots, ran out of his house. After watching him for a few seconds, the child disappeared in a small alleyway that led to the outskirts of the small port town.

Yawning to herself, Judy decided to go for a walk. She stepped off the porch of the small hotel, and started to head down the dirt street. She arrived at the small intersection and looked to her left, and saw the way she had ridden with her partner the day before. Electing to keep going straight, Judy continued her exploration. As she passed the locals, many suspicious glances were given her way, just like the day before. But as the bunny walked past, she carried an aura of friendliness that caused many animals to be at ease, as she nodded to each and every townsperson she passed in greeting. Once she arrived at the edge of the town, a rumbling noise was heard, and the bunny intuitively placed a paw on her hip, and she glanced quickly to her left.

A wagon with a single horse, was being driven by a bright green iguana. They rumbled past her and took a right into the town. The carriage rolled for several feet, before stopping in front of a small rundown building. Judy watched as the driver jumped down from the bright red vehicle, his claws hitting the ground, and sending up a small dust cloud. The iguana coughed for several seconds as he took his hat off and waved it in the air, clearing his vision. He turned to his right, and opened the door to the wagon. The farmer took a curious step forward, as the iguana pulled out a large brown bag, closed the door, and walked towards the shade of the rundown building. Grabbing a small stool that was leaning against the post, the iguana picked it up and set it down on the wooden deck. He climbed up on it, and with a loud and clear voice, yelled, "Mail delivery!"

The iguana repeated the sentence several times. The townspeople arrived before him in droves. Claws and paws of different animals were in the air, as they clamored for any letters and packages from their loved ones. Judy smiled to herself as she watched the scene unfold before her, but she couldn't help and think, _I hope Henny and the boys are alright…_

With that thought in mind, the bunny turned around, and continued her walk. Within a couple of minutes, she was at the bank of the river. The water babbled and gurgled as it passed through some rocks and pebbles. Judy took a step forward, to take off her boots, but immediately stopped as she remembered her dream. The feeling of the cool and refreshing rain washed over her skin, yet she shuddered. Quashing down any sense of anxiety and reminding herself that it was just a dream, Judy took her boots off, and gratefully sunk her paws down into the sandy bank, underneath the chilly water. She stood there for a couple of minutes, enjoying the relief that the river provided after a little more than a week of hard riding and hot weather.

She was lost in her thought, which caused her to not hear an animal approach her from behind. The bunny jumped slightly, when a voice spoke, cutting across the noise of the river, a southern drawl evident in their words. "If I had time, I'd show you a grand swimmin' spot."

Still stationary with her paws underneath the water, Judy turned around and looked at the speaker. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde stood, still on dry land, a cigarette around his finger. The gambler raised it to his mouth, and he took a deep drag, before exhaling it and quashing it beneath his boot. "Yeah?" Judy asked, "How'd you know?"

Wilde shrugged. "I've spent a lotta time here." The fox nodded and smiled softly, his eyes seemingly in a faraway place, as his paw unconsciously made its way into his vest pocket. As soon as it touched the metallic casing of his watch, the gambler snapped back to the present. He shook his head, sighed and spoke, "Well… Buffalo Bill's anxious to get goin'. He must really like his rifle if he wants it back that badly."

The farmer nodded her head. She twisted her body around and pulled her feet out of the sandy bank, and took several steps forward. The farmer reached down, and picked up her boots. Within a few minutes, she had her boots securely around her feet, and both the bunny and fox started to walk down the street together.

Silence passed between the comrades for a couple of seconds, as they listened to the iguana bellow out names. Finally, Judy spoke, "Doc… about last night, I just wanna apologize for snapping at you."

The vulpine casted a look at her and he gave her a small smile. "Already forgiven and forgotten, darlin'."

Judy nodded her head with thanks. Several seconds of silence passed between them. Finally, she spoke up, "So you spent a lot of time here? Why?"

Nick shrugged again. "Before the railroad over there, this town was busy, see? Animals came here and it became a prime gamblin' spot. I won lots and lost lots." Nick smiled again. "It was the time of my life."

"And John Henry's here too."

Doc nodded. "Yeah. He actually arrived before the boom and started the hotel. When the river business took off, he earned a lot of money and told me about it. I've lived here for several years. Met some really good friends and poker players."

Judy nodded, interested in Nick's small story. "What were their names?"

"Well, you've got Prancer Sloan, Pistol Pete and…" Nick thought for a couple of seconds, before a beam crossed his face "Mute Gentry." The fox chuckled to himself. "Mute was a talker, that 'un."

"Mute?"

"On the account of when he drinks too much whiskey, he forgets how to talk… and he drinks a lot!" Nick shook his head, still smiling.

"There was also Tall Timothy, Smokes Rainer and…" Doc's smile disappeared, and his bright emerald eyes dimmed with pain. He gave a big sigh and spoke, "Campbell." His voice dropped until it was almost a whisper.

The bunny and the fox crossed the intersection and they were several yards away from the hotel. Finally, Judy placed her paw on the fox's arm, stopping him in his tracks. "What happened to Campbell?"

Nick shoved his hands into his pockets and spoke, "Buffalo Bill's out behind the hotel. He's packin' his saddle. You ready to go?"

Trying to not show frustration on her face, Judy nodded her head. "My rifle's still in my room. Lemme grab that."

"Alright, I'll meet you back there."

At that statement, Wilde turned around and started to walk to his right. After several yards, he turned left and disappeared around the corner. After the fox disappeared, Judy shook her head and thought, _I don't need to know him. He's just helpin' me, that's all._

With that thought in mind, she turned and walked into the small hotel. As soon as she crossed the threshold of the door, a movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. A black furred fox was wiping a table, his back to her. Judy watched him for a while, then started to walk towards the small hallway that led to her room. But as soon as she did, curiosity came over her, and the bunny stopped in her tracks. She turned around and started to walk to the hotel manager.

"John Henry?"

At the sound of his name, the ears of the older fox perked upright. "Yes, darlin'?" he asked, as he turned around.

"Doc Wilde. What can you tell me about him?" She asked, folding her arms.

John Henry chuckled. "Too much, darlin'. It would take several weeks to tell a story about that fox."

"But he's lived here for several years, right?"

The vulpine nodded his head in response. "Well, not necessarily, darlin'. Nick's never lived anywhere. He was always on the move that un. But he's always come here."

"Okay." Judy nodded her head, then decided to get to the point. "Who's Campbell?"

The fox's smile disappeared. "How'd you know that name?"

"He told me."

John Henry's eyebrow arched upwards. "He did, huh?" The fox moved away from the table and took several steps towards the bunny. "His name is…" he stopped and corrected himself, "_was_ Calvin Campbell."

"What happened?"

"That's a long story… but the short version bein' that he died."

"How?"

Immediately the fox shook his head. "It's not my place to tell you, darlin'. You'll have to talk to Doc. Only hisself can tell you."

"And what about the pocket watch? The one he looks at all the time?"

John Henry opened his mouth to start to talk, but then thought second about it. The black furred fox sighed and shook his head, before speaking, "You'll have to talk to Doc about it."

Judy groaned audibly. "John Henry!" She protested "I'm just concerned for our well-being. I don't want Nick to make a mistake while we're out there." She took a step closer and tried again, "If I could know what happened, I can understand."

The fox shook his head again, but he responded, "No can do. But what I can tell you about Nick is…" he sighed and smiled. "That fox is fiercely loyal. Once he gets his mind set on somethin' he will get it done. So don't worry about that. If it comes to it, he will die before anything would harm you." With that statement, the fox folded his arms and spoke, "That'll get him killed someday, mark my words." When he finished speaking, the vulpine turned around and focused on his work.

Judy slowly nodded her head and took several steps backwards, while keeping her eye on the hotel manager, hoping that he would speak up and give more information. But John Henry was silent, and the bunny turned around and walked down the hallway. Once she arrived to her room, the farmer pushed open her door, stepped inside and made a beeline to the corner that was on her left. She grabbed her Winchester Repeater, turned around and left the room, closing the door behind her.

After bidding her goodbyes to the fox, John Henry merely grunted and spoke "don't get yourself killed, darlin'," before he resumed his focus on his chores.

The bunny stepped outside, turned left and started to walk down the same direction that Doc took. Arriving at the alleyway, where Nick disappeared, she turned left again. After several seconds of walking, Judy found herself in a small circular lot. To her back was the hotel, and in front of her was a small dirt area, and the railroad tracks.

Doc Wilde pushed himself off the wall of the hotel that he was leaning against and walked towards the bunny. "Breeze's over there." Wilde nodded in the direction.

Judy followed his glance and saw her horse eating out of the giant paw of a buffalo. The bunny nodded her thanks and started to walk towards the animal. "Good mornin'. Supposed to be a scorcher today. Feels like it."

At the sound of her voice, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody, grunted in response and turned around, his massive frame blocking out the sun as Judy looked up at him. He stroked his beard thoughtfully and spoke, his heavy western accent evident in each word. "Which is why we need to get goin', Hopps. I wanna get this done with."

"Why are you so anxious?" Judy inquired. "It's just a gun. Can't you get a new one?"

At that question, Buffalo Bill roared with laughter. "Just a gun? Just _a gun?_ It's not 'just a gun!' It's _the_ gun! It's a bolt action, fifty-caliber rifle, capable of takin' down Callahan before he even knows what's happenin!" The buffalo's chortle died off, then he continued, "That rifle's been with me long before you even started carryin'. So we're getting that rifle back once and for all!"

Judy nodded and looked sideways at her partner. Doc Wilde shrugged and looked between the buffalo and the bunny. Finally, the farmer answered, "Well, I've got a promise to keep. Let's get your gun back." A thought struck her and she continued, "Speaking of guns…" she paused as she held up her rifle and tossed it to Buffalo Bill. "You can borrow mine. One-Eyed Jack said you're a good shot with rifles."

Buffalo Bill smiled. He cocked the Winchester Repeater and looked through the sight. "Trusty thirty-thirty, huh?" The giant buffalo moved the rifle away from his eye and turned around. He walked towards the railroad tracks and stopped several yards away. At the edge of the track was a pole, with a metal circle attached to it.

Judy followed the buffalo, curious to see what was happening, aware that Doc was standing behind her. Buffalo Bill took a deep breath, and exhaled slowly. Finally, he raised the Repeater and fired. The bullet sailed through the air and struck against the metal circle, causing the arm to swing backwards. It swung from the left side to the right, causing the track to change direction from the left to straight. As the arm swung to the right, Buffalo Bill had already thrown the lever forward, ejecting the casing, and brought it back to its normal position, and fired.

The bunny dropped her mouth in awe, as the ex-sniper moved at speeds that even she could never achieve. Buffalo Bill hit the metal target several times, until the gun was empty. He turned around and beamed "And it seems to be modified a bit to carry twelve bullets. Is that right?"

Judy nodded wordlessly. Finally, she spoke, "My husband tinkered on it for several weeks before he got it right."

Buffalo Bill nodded with newfound respect. "My compliments to your husband, marm. He must be a good gunsmith. Thank you for lettin' me borrow this."

At that statement, the buffalo walked past both the bunny and the fox to his giant horse, which towered over Breeze and Midnight. After placing the repeater into the saddle holster, he heaved himself up on the horse and looked at the two animals. "Well, are we goin'?"

Doc Wilde chuckled and shook his head. "Comin after you, partner." He followed suit.

Judy did the same, but when she got on her horse, Breeze nicked in greeting. The bunny patted the horse and spoke, "Where're we going?"

Buffalo Bill nodded. "My show got ambushed up that roadway there." He pointed in the direction of the forest. "The Redeyes usually avoid us since we were a large group and all, but they got confident. Took us by surprise. All I know is that they're in there somewhere."

Doc nodded in agreement. "Redeyes never leave their territory. They always attack animals that pass through or go around the forest. The Redeyes are a large gang, but they always split themselves into smaller groups. So how would we find your rifle?" As soon as he finished talking, the fox started to cough.

Buffalo Bill looked back at the vulpine. "Sounds like a bad cough, Wilde. You okay?"

Nick nodded, wiping his mouth with his handkerchief. "Just peachy, chief."

"Well, get a rope around your cough, fox. We've got the advantage of surprise, so we've gotta be quiet when we get there."

"Don't worry, Cody. I can handle my cough when we get there."

Buffalo Bill looked at Wilde with silence. Finally, he spoke "To answer yer question, I'd assume they set up camp near where they hit me. This happened yesterday mornin' so I'd wager that they'd be there."

Nick nodded his head and spoke, "I'm a gamblin' fox, and I like those odds." He looked at Judy and spoke, "Shall we?" After she nodded, the buffalo urged his horse into a trot, and the farmer and gambler followed close by.

After a half hour of riding in silence, they reached the halfway point. Finally, Judy spoke up, "Where's that fox of yours?" she asked as she searched her mind for a name. "Annie?"

Buffalo Bill called back, "I told her to stay behind. We had some wounded in that ambush. When they're all healed up, they are to continue on the show. She's in charge when I'm gone."

"And you'll join us?" Judy asked.

The giant buffalo slowed down until the bunny was next to him. He looked sideways at her and spoke. "Callahan's always bothered me and my show. He'd ambush the town and nobody'd do anything about it. I'd do somethin' but my animals need me. I'm happy to see an animal such as yourself and Doc Wilde, standing up to him and I'm a Buffalo of my word."

Judy nodded, satisfied with his answer. "But I don't think the three of us will be able to take Callahan and his whole crew down. We need more."

"I agree with you on that, marm." Buffalo Bill responded. "As a matter of fact, I happen to have a lead. There is an animal who could help us… Hopefully."

"Really?" Judy asked, excitement in her voice.

The giant buffalo chuckled. "But I'll tell you about that later. No use to tellin' you now to get your hopes up and we all end up dead because of these stupid weasels."

Next to Judy, Doc laughed. "Can't argue with that logic."

As soon as the fox finished that sentence, the three animals restarted their riding. Another half-hour later, they found themselves in the outskirts of the forest. The trees towered up into the sky, the canopy blocking the rays of the sun. But light still shone through the small spaces between each tree. As soon as they entered the forest, they slowed their horses down into a small walk. A cool breeze blew through the air of the shade provided by the tree, and Judy took off her hat, using the edge to wipe off the sweat that was on her brow.

The three animals continued to ride in silence, the sound of hoofbeats hitting the soft dirt, being the only thing that destroyed the calm. After a few minutes of riding up the pathway through the forest, Buffalo Bill slowed his horse to a stop. "This is where we were ambushed." The sniper looked around and nodded his head, confirming his statement as fact.

"But this is a large forest." Judy spoke. "Where can we find the camp?"

"We split up." Doc responded. "We leave our horses over there, and out of sight, and we walk for a few minutes in each direction. We already know that they're not south because that's where Tulare is."

Judy looked at Buffalo Bill and the giant animal was silent, stroking his beard in thought. Finally, he spoke, his voice rumbling. "As much as I think it's a bad idea, Doc's right. We have a better chance of findin' the camp faster if we split up."

The farmer nodded with agreement. She urged Breeze to the spot where Nick pointed out to leave the horses. "We have thirty minutes to search. That'll give us more than enough time to find the camp. Once we do, we come right back here. If the thirty minutes are up, we come right back here." She looked between the fox and the buffalo. "Are we in agreement?"

Both the sniper and gambler nodded wordlessly in agreement. Once they arrived at the hidden spot, the three animals climbed off their horses and tied the reigns to a low hanging branch. Buffalo Bill drew out Judy's repeater from the saddle holster and spoke, "Right, which way we goin'?"

Taking charge, Judy spoke, "Bill, you go east, towards the river. I'll go north, and Doc…"

"Go west. Got it."

"Remember…" Judy started.

"Thirty minutes." Both Buffalo Bill and Nick spoke in chorus. When they finished they looked at each other, and the giant buffalo spoke, "She's pretty bossy."  
Doc chuckled. "You don't know half of it."

"I'm right here!" Judy spoke, bristling.

"And fiery too." Buffalo Bill laughed. "I think I'll enjoy being in this small group."

Doc's smile disappeared. "Well, it's like you said, chief. We've gotta survive this first."

After nodding their heads at each other, the animals went in their assigned directions, ready to hurry back at the first sight of the camp.

The sun slowly reached its zenith in the sky, its light being blocked by the large branches of the trees. Judy sighed as she walked quietly and looked around, grateful for the shade that the trees provided. Finally, once the sun reached the center point, the bunny stopped and shook her head with despair. _No one's around here._

She turned around and continued to walk back, knowing that it would take her another thirty minutes to get back. Once the time passed, the bunny arrived at the small spot, and Breeze threw her head up in greeting. _Did you find them?_

The bunny shook her head. "No."

_Maybe they'll have better luck._

"Hopefully." Judy rubbed her face with tiredness. She then walked towards the horse and pulled out a canteen off the saddle. As she unscrewed the lid, she continued her conversation with the horse. "We need to find them, soon. Buffalo Bill will be a good addition."

Breeze didn't answer as Judy drank from the canteen, the water washing down her dry throat. Several minutes passed, and Midnight nickered a warning. At that sound, Judy put her paw on her revolver and heard pawsteps.

She relaxed as she saw that it was Buffalo Bill. The disheartened buffalo grunted in greeting as he held Judy's Repeater in his right paw. After looking around for a couple of seconds, he spoke, "Doc's not here?"

"Not yet." Judy spoke, worry creeping into her voice.

"Let's give him a few more minutes." Buffalo Bill spoke. "Maybe he's just late."

"I hope so."

Twenty more minutes passed, and Judy was starting to pace. Even the giant buffalo himself, was beginning to worry, but he did not show it. Finally the sniper spoke, "Right. I think we need to look for him."

"Better take the horses. If he's hurt or worse, we need a fast getaway."

Buffalo Bill looked at the bunny and nodded his head. "That's a good idea."

With that statement, both the bunny and the giant buffalo climbed undid the knot around the tree and Judy looked at Midnight and spoke, "Can you follow me?"

Midnight nickered and nodded his head. As soon as he did, Judy climbed up into her saddle. After she settled in, she looked at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "Nick went that way. Let's go."

The buffalo and the bunny started to trot, as the shadows deepened with the sun passing its zenith point. Worry weighed heavily in both animal hearts, as they prayed silently that no harm would come to the missing comrade. They rode in silence for forty-five minutes, weaving through trees and looking around on all sides for any hint.

Finally, Judy slowed Breeze to a stop and Buffalo Bill did the same. She reached and grabbed her canteen. After she swallowed a drink, Midnight gave a huge neigh and started to gallop. As Judy and Buffalo Bill watched the black horse run in the direction they were heading, a gunshot noise was heard, followed by two more. Both the bunny and the buffalo looked at each other and sprang into action, urging their horses to chase after Midnight.

/

_The Redeye Forest_

Nicholas "Doc" Wilde sighed and placed his paws on his hips as he looked around. He shook his head as his heart became heavy, and he looked up at the sky. Through the cover of the leaves, Doc could see that the sun reached the center of the sky, marking the time for the fox to turn around and head back. Deciding to walk several feet more, Doc climbed over a fallen tree trunk and stood on top of it, hoping to see any hint of civilization.

He was greeted with silence and the same scene he saw over and over again. Rows of trees dominated his vision, as it spread for miles. The fox sighed, turned around and jumped off the trunk of the tree. As soon as his boots hit the ground, he felt his throat scratch, and the vulpine fought his urge to cough.

He lost the fight, and the fox doubled over coughing into the ground, as phlegm and blood spewed out, wetting the dirt below him. His hat fell off his head as the fox coughed for several more minutes, his eyes focused on the ground as he attempted to clear his throat. Finally, after reaching into his jacket pocket and grabbing his handkerchief, Nick wiped his mouth and shook his head, smiling softly to himself. _Gonna need a new one._

He stood up, and put the handkerchief into his pocket. Doc's eyes looked up the ground, searching for his fallen hat, but it was nowhere to be seen. Pawsteps was heard to his left, and Nick immediately drew his thirty-eight caliber revolver from his front holster and took aim. As soon as he did, he heard a familiar sound of a bolt action rifle being cocked behind him, and felt the barrel hovering several centimeters away from his head. "You're surrounded, pardner. Drop it."

Nick's revolver was trained on a weasel. On the top of his head was his cowboy hat. Not moving his head, Doc's eyes scanned the scene before him. In front of the fox, there were five weasels, all with revolvers trained on him. Some were dressed in tattered clothing: shirts and pants, or overalls.

Doc slowly nodded his head and spoke, "I'm a gambling fox and I know when the odds are against me. I'm puttin' my revolver down."

"You do that, pardner." The voice behind him spoke. "Don't you know who we are?"

The vulpine holstered his revolver, and keeping his paws in the air, turned around. Standing before him were three more weasels, two holding revolvers and one was holding a rifle. At the sight of the rifle, Nick spoke, turning on his southern drawl. "You're the Redeyes and I believe that gun belongs to my friend."

The weasel narrowed his eyes and spoke. "Yore with that giant buffalo and his group, eh?"

Doc quickly shook his head. "Not necessarily, friend. But that buffalo wants his gun back. You give it back, and you survive."

The bandit laughed loudly. "And give up my spoils? I'm not gunna do that, _friend._" Still chuckling, the weasel took a step forward and spoke again, "This is what I'm gunna do. I'm going to steal everything you have on you and… mebbe kill you… mebbe not. I haven't decided yet."

With that sentence, the bandit leader looked at his minion and motioned the weasel forward. The minion grabbed both of the fox's revolvers out of his holsters and tossed them on the ground. Holstering his own revolver, the weasel started to pat the vulpine, starting on his sides and moving down the legs.

Nick's heart started to race as the weasel brought his paws around to his front. His anger started to build up in the pits of his stomach and threatened to consume him. He had been quashing it for several minutes, but he was still angry at himself for being caught unawares. But as soon as the paw made contact with the watch that was still in his vest pocket, Nick's fury reached a boiling point. With a small roar, he pushed the weasel away, balled his right paw into a fist, and slammed it against his nose. With a cry, the weasel fell backwards, hitting the ground, blood spurting out of his face. But as soon as the weasel did, the bandit leader took a step forward, and slammed the butt of the rifle into Doc's stomach.

Nick sank to his knees, a small cough erupting out as he felt his breath being driven from his lungs.

"That was stupid, fox." The weasel breathed heavily. He looked up at his minions and spoke, "Take him back to the camp. We'll kill him there and bury him elsewhere."

As soon as he spoke, Nick felt himself being picked up by two other weasels, and saw his revolvers being picked up from the ground by a third. After twenty minutes of walking in the direction that he was going, found himself at the weasel camp.

They dropped him onto the ground, and still trained their guns at the vulpine. Around him, Nick saw overturned wagons, which served as shelter. A fireplace roared in the center of the camp, as bottles and cans littered the ground. Over the fire, a clothesline was hung, with shirts and pants drying.

The leader took a step forward. He had lowered the rifle and the leader spoke, "Let's see what you have on you. Don't do anything stupid, now."

He dropped the rifle on the ground and resumed the search. Nick wisely didn't move, knowing that it would cost his life. The weasel felt the watch in his pocket, and pulled it out. As soon as he did, his jaw dropped as the watch gleamed in the light of the fire.

The bandit leader chortled and spoke, "Well, boys! This'll fetch us a pretty penny!"

Attempting to control his fury, Nick spoke, "Please… take my guns. Take my hat… take all of my money that's in my boot. But leave me my watch." A sob was caught in his throat. "It's the only important thing in my life."

The weasel raised an eyebrow and chuckled softly to himself. He clicked it open, and after it sprung, his eye was caught by the inscription. The bandit leader narrowed his eyes and growled. "Ahhh. I can't read this stupid thing!" He threw the watch down into the ground and took a step forward. Grabbing Nick's face, the weasel spoke, his face several inches away. "Why is this watch so important to yer?"

Doc stammered, forgetting to turn on the charm to try to disarm his opponent. "It… it just has a lot of meaning to me. It reminds me of… of my mistakes."

"Mistakes eh?" the weasel let go of the fox, and looked back at the watch. Finally, he shrugged and spoke. "Well, I've no use for you. Kill him."

At the sound of revolvers being cocked, Nick yelled out, "Wait!"

At the sound of his voice, the bandit leader raised his paw, stopping his minions. "Whaddya want?"

Nick took a deep breath and spoke, "By the right of the Redeye custom, I invoke the blood oath!"

At the sound of Nick's statement, all the weasels gasped. Even the bandit leader was taken aback. After gaining his composure, he spoke, "No one's invoked the blood oath in many years! The last one to be invoked was hundred years ago, while everyone was still usin' swords!" His eyes narrowed as he stared with hatred at the fox. "How'd you know about it?"

Nick smiled. "I'm a wanderer. When you wander, you learn things you need to survive."

The weasel grunted at that answer, then he shook his head. "But you can't invoke the blood oath. Yer not a weasel! The blood oath is only for members of this family… this gang." The weasel gestured to the animals around him. After staring at the fox, he shook his head, "This blood oath is used to challenge the leader for the gang"

"You're right." Nick spoke. "But that still doesn't stop me from giving out the challenge."

The weasel thought for a minute, then chuckled. "And you want to lead this small group? What makes you think they'll follow you if you win?"

"They're bound to it."

The weasel was taken aback by the fox's knowledge of the Redeye custom. "Yer do realize that if you win, another weasel could challenge yer?"

After Nick nodded, the weasel thought for a minute. After reaching a decision, he spoke "Alright, fine. What are yer terms?"

Doc smiled dangerously. "A duel. You verses me. If I win, I get the rifle, my watch and I go away from the camp, scot-free. If I lose… well, I'm dead and you'll get everything I have."

The bandit leader looked around. All of his minions had slowly lowered their guns, interested to see how it would play out. Finally, he spoke. "A duel against me for the rifle and watch? No can do. I can tell that this watch is important to you…" the weasel paused and spoke again, "You vs me and one of my best gunslingers."

Nick nodded his head, knowing that if he backed down, it meant that his life would be forfeited. At his nod, the weasel laughed. "Right! Let the blood oath begin!"

Doc stood up and looked at the weasel who was holding both of his revolvers. Nick spoke, "By the right of the custom, I am to have a weapon."

The bandit leader chuckled evilly. "A weapon." The weasel looked at Nick. "Nowhere does it say that it had to be a gun."

At that statement, another weasel stepped forward, holding two large stones. He handed them to Nick, who weighed them in both of his paws. He looked at the weasel and spoke, "This seems unfair."

"You said it yerself, fox. You're a gambler. Didn't you see this comin'?"

Nick chuckled and spoke, "I most certainly did not."

At that statement, the fox walked to his left, with both of the stones in his hand. As he walked, he looked at both the bandit leader and the minion he had chosen to fight alongside with him. The bandit leader had dropped the rifle on the ground, and held his revolver in his right paw. The weasel minion had his own weapon, another revolver in his left.

As Doc stood before them, he spoke, "Do you mind if I have my hat back? It doesn't seem right for me to die without my hat."

The bandit leader rolled his eyes and nodded his head, deciding to humor the fox. At the nod, Nick turned around and nodded his thanks as another weasel handed him the hat. Doc placed a stone underneath his right armpit and clamped it. With another stone in his right paw, he used his left paw to grab the hat, and place it on his head.

After seeing the hat securely on the vulpine's head, his left paw still on the helm of the hat, the bandit leader started to talk, "Right! Now we can…"

His words were cut off as Nick's hat flew through the air, blocking his vision. A second later, the bandit leader felt his breath being driven from his lungs as a stone smashed into his stomach. He fell backwards and hit the ground with an _oof_ as his finger squeezed the trigger, sending a gunshot in the air.

Nick transferred the stone from his left paw to his right. As soon as he did, he saw the second weasel raise his revolver. As the gunshot was heard, Nick quickly sidestepped sideways, feeling the heat from the bullet as it grazed his jacket, before embedding itself into the wooden boards of the overturned wagon. The second weasel gasped as he saw that he missed his shot. His thumb quickly went up to cock the hammer, but he was unable to as the second stone, flung by the gambler, sailed through the air and smashed against his skull, silencing him forever.

Doc Wilde breathed heavily, not believing that he came close to death. He shakily took several steps forward, and leaned down, picked up his watch and pocketed it. The fox walked some more and picked up the blood soaked stone from the slain weasel and stood over the fallen bandit leader.

"Not… fair!" The weasel croaked with pain.

Doc Wilde smiled. "Nowhere in your customs did it say that we had to establish a specific time to start fighting."

The weasel groaned with pain. "You knew that it was an unwritten rule!"

Nick's smile disappeared, as a dangerous snarl appeared on his face. "I was going to honor that rule, but you took my watch from me!" He raised the stone up in the air.

The bandit leader raised his arm, as a feeble defense. "You cheated!" he tried again. "I demand a rematch."

Nick shook his head. "I'm a gambler… and there's one thing you should know about gamblers, you rotten, no good, _coward!" _Nick sniffed. "Gamblers always cheat."

The fox brought the stone down repeatedly, snuffing the weasel's life out. As soon as he finished, he stood up, breathing heavily, his ears perking up to the noise of hoof beats

Midnight neighed loudly, as he screeched to a halt outside of the camp. Nick turned his attention towards it and saw his black horse standing still. A smile appeared on his face, then it disappeared as he realized what was going to happen. The fox dove to the ground as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody and Judy Hopps thundered into the camp, their weapons raised into the air.

Judy took down several bandits in quick succession, while Buffalo Bill dispatched several more. The weasels did not fight back. When they saw seven of their comrades fall, they turned around and ran in the opposite direction. Within a few seconds, the camp was silent, save for the crackling of the fire.

The farmer climbed down off Breeze and gasped as she looked at the blood spatter that was on her partner's face. "Are you…?"  
Nick raised his paw and spoke, "I'm fine, darlin'. This isn't mine." He shook his head and looked around. "Well, y'all took your time gettin' here!"

Buffalo Bill chuckled, his voice rumbling deeply. "You're a hard fox to find!"

Nick turned around and reached down on the ground next to the fallen bandit leader. He picked up the rifle and tossed it to the giant buffalo. "I believe this is yours."

Cody caught the rifle with his left paw and shuddered as joy enveloped him. He took a deep breath and shuddered with joy. Finally, after adjusting the brown strap, he put it around his shoulder and handed Judy's repeater back to her.

The bunny followed suit, slinging her repeater around her shoulder and spoke, "What happened here?"

As Nick retrieved his revolvers, he gave a quick rundown of the story, and when he was finished, Buffalo Bill laughed loudly, his glee echoing through the forest. "The blood oath eh? I've heard about it." As he wiped the tears off his face, he continued, "I'm startin' to like you, Wilde." As he said that statement, he gave the fox a powerful slap on his back, sending him stumbling several steps forward. Finally, the buffalo turned around and walked back to his horse. After holstering his rifle, Buffalo Bill called out, "I wanna get back to Tulare before dark. The survivors'll tell others what happened here."

Doc nodded with agreement. He walked to the dead weasel's body and picked up his hat that was next to it. After it was nestled safely on his head, he climbed onto Midnight. As soon as he did, he leaned down and kissed the horse's neck, speaking softly, "Thanks, buddy. I owe you one."

Midnight shook his mane. _One? Only one?_ The horse snorted derisively. _You owe me more than one._

The gambler rolled his eyes to the heavens and shook his head. As he did, Judy pulled up next to him on Breeze. She spoke, "Glad to see you're still alive."

Doc winked. "It'll take more than a group of weasels to take me down." With that sentence, the three animals started to head south, out of the forest and towards Tulare.

The sun was starting to dip below the horizon when the three animals arrived back in the small, sleepy town. As soon as they approached the hotel, Buffalo Bill wheeled his horse to the left and spoke, "I'm gunna see Annie and check in."

Judy nodded in response. Within a few seconds, both the bunny and the fox had hitched their horses to the hitching post. Doc hitched up his gun belt and nodded his head, stepping sideways, to let the bunny enter the building first. As soon as she did, Doc followed her inside. His eyes scanned the room, as the hotel seemed busier than before. Animals roamed the room, many chatting and eating.

Judy continued to walk straight, as if she was heading to the hallway that led to their rooms. But as soon as she reached the entrance, she spotted an empty table in the corner, the farthest away from the door. She pulled a chair back and sat into it, and looked at Nick, waiting for him to take a seat.

Doc shook his head, pointing at his face, where the blood was already dry. "I'm going to take a wash. I'll be back soon." He gave her a half-smile. Judy nodded again in response and as soon as the fox disappeared, she leaned back into her chair, folding her paws behind her head.

Fifteen minutes passed, and Buffalo Bill walked into the room, his giant frame towering over other animals. The chatter died off slightly as the locals saw the huge buffalo, but after recognizing him, they started to talk again. As he stood a head taller than the animals, the buffalo looked around. He spotted Judy sitting alone and strode towards her.

Pulling back a chair, Buffalo Bill plopped into it and nodded his head. "Annie's headin' out of town with my show. I'll stick with you until this business with Callahan is over. Like I said, I'm a buffalo of my word."

Judy smiled and spoke, reaching out her paw. "It's good to have you with us Buffalo Bill!"

The giant buffalo shook her paw, his own enveloping her tiny one as he chuckled merrily. "What a strange group we make! A farmer, a gambler and an ex-soldier! Who would have thought?"

"Not me, that's for sure." Doc Wilde spoke. He sat down between the bunny and the buffalo, his fur still wet from the bath.

Judy laughed in response and looked at Buffalo Bill expectedly. "If I recall correctly, you said you have a lead in regards to another animal who could join us." She looked between the fox and the buffalo. "It seems like we're still alive, and you have your rifle. So… what lead do you have?"

"This one." Buffalo Bill spoke. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a letter. He handed it to her and the bunny saw that it still had crumbs of red wax still on it. As she read it, her eyebrows inched higher in shock. "Charlie Vane's been captured?"

At the sound of his name, Doc grabbed the letter out of Judy's paws. As he read it, his eyebrows inched higher and higher with shock. Finally, he shakily stood up and spoke while tossing the letter back on the table, "If you'll excuse me, I need some air… I feel a cough comin' on."

Doc turned around and quickly went through the crowded room and out of the door. As he disappeared, Buffalo Bill looked back and spoke, "What's with him?"

Judy shook her head. "I don't know. I tried askin' but it's not my business."

Buffalo Bill nodded his head. "I understand… everyone's got the devil inside them that they've gotta battle."

As soon as he said that sentence, an image of Bucky Callahan entered her mind, and Judy forced herself to stop from rolling her paws into fists. Instead she gave a small smile and didn't say anything else.

Outside, Nick Wilde stood underneath the moonlight, the din of the crowd from the hotel became quieter as he stood in the empty streets. He reached inside his pocket and pulled out his watch. The fox clicked it open, and read the inscription. As soon as he did, a tear rolled down his cheek, and the gambler closed the lid. He squeezed the watch in his right paw, and sighed, his breath shuddering.

Suddenly, a dangerous smile appeared on his face, as he placed the watch back into his vest pocket. He turned around and started to walk back into the building, grabbing his handkerchief out of his pocket. Wiping his mouth to make it seem like he was coughing, Doc weaved through the animals and sat down in the chair between Buffalo Bill and Judy.

"Right." Nick sighed. "Who's JBH? The Sherriff of Applehill?"

"That's the dog, who's going to help us, no doubt about it." Buffalo Bill responded. "His name's James Butler Hickok. But don't let his manners fool ya. He's not called "Wild Bill" Hickok for nothin'."

Doc nodded his head immediately. "I've heard of Wild Bill Hickok. He cleared out a town of criminals in a day. Just by his lonesome!"

Buffalo Bill smiled. "And that town was Applehill. He's there still, and needs my help to transport Charlie Vane. As you know, Vane's the number one wolf for Callahan and there's no way that Callahan will be coming back for him. If he did, that would go against his reputation." Buffalo Bill shrugged. "But if we go and help him, I'd say that Hickok would help."

Judy nodded, glad that they had a plan. "Only problem." She spoke. "Applehill's north of Bull Run. It'll take us a week to get there. Who's to say that he hasn't left yet?"

Buffalo Bill shook his head. "I know Hickok. He may be dangerous, but he's not stupid. He won't go anywhere with a prisoner without ensuring that he has enough animalpower. No… he's still waiting for me to show up… or at least to hear back."

Judy looked at Doc and the fox cleared his throat and spoke. "Well, it seems that our group will be getting larger. Now we'll have a Sheriff helpin' us."

"And a grave robber!" A familiar voice screeched across the din of the crowd. The animals stopped talking as they glanced quickly at the stranger who was standing in the doorway. Buffalo Bill stood up and chuckled softly, shaking his head. Judy searched her memory for the voice, and as she did, realization struck her, and her heart sank.

Walking towards them, and carrying a large sack slung around his shoulder was One-Eyed Jack. Doc Wilde laughed loudly as he saw the jackrabbit get closer, as the fox stood up from his chair. "You ol' devil! You got out of the jail! How?"

One-Eyed Jack glanced at the fox, his good eye blinking, then the rabbit laughed loudly, his voice shrieking. "It seems that every animal forgets one important thing!"

"What's that?" Buffalo Bill inquired. Both the buffalo and the fox resumed sitting in their chairs.

The jackrabbit turned his head to the giant buffalo. "Mister Cody!" He screeched. "Seems to me that they found you after all!" The jackrabbit dropped the sack on the ground in front of him and raised his paws in the air. "They forget that I'm One-Eyed Jack!"

Doc chuckled. "Yes, yes, you are."

Keeping her eyes on the sack, Judy spoke, worry entering her voice. "What's in the sack, Jack?"

Jack beamed as he looked at Judy. "Hello, my future wife!" He winked, causing the bunny shudder. Buffalo Bill chortled loudly at the interaction, but after a dangerous glare from Judy, his merriment died off quickly.

The crazed jackrabbit continued, "I'm so happy you asked… because when I was in jail, I've broke out with the help of Callahan's wolves!"

"Callahan broke you out?" Nick spoke with surprise. "Why?"

Jack shrugged. "I didn't stick around to ask, but if I had to guess, they know about you."

Judy sighed. This was another burden that she didn't want to bear. But at the sound of Jack's next sentence, her spirit was lifted a little. "But they won't bother you… not for a few weeks at least."

A beat passed between them, then Doc spoke, "Why, Jack? What did you do?"

Jack looked at the fox, and put on an innocent look. "What makes you think that _I, _old Jack, did something?"

Nick smiled softly. "Because you're One-Eyed Jack."

"You're right I am!" Jack screeched. He opened the sack, reached inside and pulled something out. He tossed it on the table with a crazed laughter. "And that's why Callahan won't be bothering you for a few weeks!"

Judy couldn't tear her eyes from what Jack put on the table, as all three animals stood up from their chairs. Nick placed a paw on his forehead and shook his head, groaning audibly. Buffalo Bill cringed his face, and Judy immediately felt the need to throw up as the scent of death washed over her. She had seen many dead bodies in her time, and she was used to it, but not as mangled as the one that was on the table.

Because on the table, in a small pool of blood, staring vacantly at her, was Seaeyes' severed head!


	8. Chapter 8: The Sheriff

Chapter 8: The Sherriff

"_Wild Bill was a strange character, add to this figure a costume blending the immaculate neatness of the dandy with the extravagant taste and style of a frontiersman, you have Wild Bill, the most famous scout on the Plains"_

General George Custer writing about James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok

_Unknown Location_

Bucky Callahan was frustrated. It had been several days since he sent Seaeyes and Xavier to do his bidding, and there had been no sign of their return. The wolf sat back in his chair, folding his arms, a small growl appearing on his rough features. He wanted his plans to come into fruition, but it seemed like there was an obstacle in his way.

His mind took him back to the bunny with a white buttoned down shirt and blue scarf. Her purpled eyes gleamed, as she held in her paw a revolver, and around her shoulder was her Repeater. Callahan growled to himself, as he remembered how much damage she and her late husband did against his crew. But when he finally put down Wyatt Hopps, Callahan set in motion his plans that would see him dominate the whole western lands of Zootopia.

The wolf unconsciously touched his scar, and slightly winced when his paw came into contact with it. The scar still hurt, thanks to Wyatt's knife. Callahan breathed heavily, remembering how close to death that he had been. When the leader of the bloodhounds reached the peak of his power and influence, he had scores of wolves following him. Unfortunately, it also meant that groups of sheriffs and bounty hunters were after his head, searching for fame and glory. The closest animal that had gotten him was Wyatt, but after fighting in hand to hand combat, a result of lack of ammo on both sides, Wyatt had come out on top. But Callahan pulled a dirty trick by throwing sand in the bunny's eyes and while he was blinded, the wolf escaped.

A knock on the door snapped Callahan out of his thoughts. The brown door opened and a wolf popped his head inside. He shook his head, disappeared behind the door and it closed. Callahan closed his eyes and sighed, his mind racing for plans B, C and D. His original plan would have seen him in ownership of the lands, and nobody would have stopped him

Judy's return had obviously thrown a wrench into it, and Callahan shook his head. _Why can't that bunny stay away? _He thought to himself. He needed One-Eyed Jack and he needed the grave robber _now. _By having the jackrabbit on hand, Callahan knew that he would be able to pry information out of him. He had done before and he most certainly can do it again. The wolf sighed to himself and shook his head once more, _I should've blown his brains out when I had the chance._

On the table where Callahan was sitting, was the stack of papers revealing the railroad shares for the trans-continental railroad. But he couldn't make a new move because he needed one more document, and it was that document he sent Charlie and a group of wolves after. Callahan looked at an opened pocket watch that was on his desk. _Vane should have been here already…_

The wolf smiled to himself. Vane was eager, proactive and deadly. The younger wolf reminded the leader of himself, and Callahan could see Vane becoming a leader in his own right. The leader of the Bloodhounds shook his head and smiled dangerously, _not today…_

Callahan stood up. He was tired of sitting and waiting around. He moved around his table and opened the door, stepping into the hallway that led to the saloon. The wolf marched through the room and saw his own men sitting around the tables, laughing, chatting, playing cards and generally drinking. She-wolves, some wives to the crewmembers walked around and flirted with other wolves. Callahan looked to his right, and on the table of the bar, a wolf had a female wolf on his lap and both were giggling drunkenly. She squealed with delight as he buried his head into her chest.

As soon as Callahan stepped inside the room, the chatter and laughing stopped as each wolf looked nervously at their leader, unsure if he needed something. The leader of the Bloodhounds flicked his paw, and the activities resumed. The wolf walked through the saloon and pushed the swinging saloon doors as he stepped outside. The sun was setting, bringing along with it a cool breeze, a relief from the hot day. Taking his hat off, Callahan relished in the breeze, its fingers curling through the wolf's sweaty brow. Once the breeze died off, Callahan put his hat back on his head and walked towards the church's bell tower.

Up there, at attention was Senga, a wolf that Callahan had assigned to be a lookout. After taking a couple of seconds, Callahan called up, "Anything?"

Senga shook his head. "Nothing, boss. I'm looking for both groups."

"Good wolf," Callahan called out. "Let me know when you see them."

"Right away boss!" Senga responded. With that, Callahan turned around and started to walk back to the saloon. Once he reached the swinging doors, Senga's voice called out. "Boss!"

Callahan stopped himself and stepped off the deck. "You see somebody?"

Senga nodded. "I think it's Vane's crew!" The wolf pointed in the direction. "But boss… it don't look good!"

Callahan sighed. He followed Senga's point and stepped into the street, waiting for the arrival of the group. A few minutes passed, and the wolf heard the noise of hoof beats, as the horses raced towards the ghost town.

Keeping his paws on his revolvers, Callahan kept his face expressionless as the horses came to a stop. After he scanned the scene, Callahan forced himself to contain his fury and frustration as he realized that there were six horses, but only four riders. The lead wolf climbed down off the horse and stood before his leader, not saying a word. The other three did the same, except they stood a bit behind the lead wolf.

Callahan moved his tongue in his mouth, moistening the dry crevices. He shook his head as he slowly walked back and forth. Standing before him was Vierra, Shadowtooth, Blackjack and his number one lupine. "Charile…" Callahan spoke dangerously. "Where's Scorpion and Dagger?"

Callahan's number-one lupine swallowed nervously as he shifted in his place. He had heard what happened to Minho and didn't want to test Callahan's fury. Instead, he decided to give it to his boss straight. "We got in and out of the bank with no problems, boss. But the Sherriff and his deputies musta had been still awake because as soon as we left, we got hit by them. Dagger got shot in the head, comin' out of the bank, and we went out of the back door and rounded about. But when we got to the horses, they started to chase us. Scorpion went down, and I think he's in the hands of the law."

Callahan slowly nodded his head, knowing that there was truth to his number-one lupine's words. The leader shrugged. "Who cares about Scorpion and Dagger?" Callahan growled. "As long as you made it with the last share?"

Vane swallowed nervously. "Actually, we made it out with everything else. Scorpion still has the paper."

Callahan's smile slowly disappeared as he realized that Vane was, once again, telling the truth. The wolf took a deep breath in an attempt to control his fury. As Senga watched from the bell tower, and some of his crew members stepped outside of the saloon to watch what was happening, Callahan lost the fight.

He balled his paw into a fist and drove it into Vane's stomach. As the lupine doubled over with pain, Callahan caught the wolf. Putting his face close to the lupine's ear, Callahan whispered dangerously. "I gave you one job." His voice raised in volume as he snarled and pushed him away. "_One job!"_

Callahan drew his revolver and trained it at the wolf. As Charlie held his paw up in a feeble attempt of defense, a thought struck the leader. He slowly holstered his revolver and took a step forward. Raising his voice, Callahan spoke, "All four of you take ten more wolves and go after Scorpion. Kill him or bring him back alive, I don't care. As long as you get that paper!" Callahan cursed. Vane nodded, and quickly barked out orders, knowing that if he stood around, he would continue to be at the receiving end of his boss' fury. As Vane climbed up on his horse, Callahan stopped him.

"And Vane?"

"Boss?"

"If you ever run into a bunny and a fox…" Callahan smiled evilly. "Kill the fox, but bring the bunny back. Alive."

"Yes boss." The wolf nodded immediately.

Within ten minutes, fourteen wolves were leaving the ghost town and racing across the plains, heading for Applehill. Callahan sighed as he watched them go. The wolf turned around and walked back to Senga in the bell tower. "Let me know the _moment_ you see Seaeyes and Xavier."

After Senga nodded in response, Callahan walked back into the saloon. Grabbing a bottle out of a passed out wolf's paw, Callahan took a deep draft and shook his head. His plans were in motion, albeit slowly. He took another drink and when he was finished, he threw the bottle against the wall, shattering it, and sending glass down to the floor. Callahan smiled a dangerous smile. He was willing to be patient this time.

/

_Tulare_

As soon as an animal in the hotel took a look at their table, they gave a loud scream and started to scamper out of the lobby. Other animals, wondering what was happening, looked in the direction of the crazed jackrabbit, did the same. Within a few seconds, the lobby was empty, save for the few that was still there.

John Henry, wondering what the whole chaos was about, decided to investigate. The black furred fox walked out from behind the bar and strode towards the table. As soon as he arrived, he cursed loudly and yelled, "Get that thing out of here! Yore driving my customers away!"

At the sight of the lobby emptying and John Henry's indignity, Judy Hopps groaned and shook her head. "Jack, put the head back in the sack."

One-Eyed Jack giggled. "Hey that rhymed!" With a singsong voice, he repeated, "_Jack… Put the head back in the sack…_" His voice trailed off as he withered underneath Judy's harsh stare. Finally, the insane rabbit spoke, his voice screeching, "As you wish, marm!" The jackrabbit picked up Seaeyes by the ears and carelessly tossed it back into the empty sack. After he closed it, he looked up and spoke, "Well… did ol' Jack do good or what?"

"Well, you did something.'" A southern drawl was evident in his words, as Nicholas "Doc" Wilde rolled his eyes. "But I have to admit, you ol' rabbit. You did good."

William "Buffalo Bill" Cody nodded in agreement, stroking his beard. "Ought to give us a few days, like Jack says." He looked between the three animals. "What happened with the three of you?"

Judy took the lead of the story about how they all met, with Doc and Jack jumping in once a while to give a missing detail. After she was done, Buffalo Bill spoke, his heavy western accent rumbling, "Well, since Jack said your name in front of the wolves, there's a chance that Callahan does know about you. Do you have a history with him?"

The bunny nodded her head. "He killed my husband."

Buffalo Bill sighed. "Then Callahan knows that you're after him, make no mistake about that. But because of the…" he paused, searching for the right words. "Fortunate timing of Jack, we may be able to get to Applehill without any trouble after all."

Jack screeched happily. He jumped up on the table and started to dance. Ignoring the crazed, half naked jackrabbit, Judy looked sideways at Doc Wilde and spoke, "I'm going to get some sleep. We're gonna have a long couple of days before us."

Doc gave her a wink. "Me too." The fox looked at the sniper and asked, "Anything you wanna add?"

The giant buffalo shook his head. As soon as he did, Judy started to walk away. But as she turned, Jack's voice stopped her in her tracks. "Marm!" He screeched. The insane jackrabbit jumped down off the table and inched closer to the bunny. Dropping his voice, the one-eyed grave robber spoke, "Since yore husband's dead and all… I was thinkin', since we have a connection, I could spend the night in your room?" He giggled and continued, "I did you a favor after all."

Doc laughed out loud, his voice mingling with the deep merriment of Buffalo Bill's as Judy swung her right paw at the jackrabbit. It collided against the side of his face, and the grave robber's eyes rolled up in the back of his head, and he collapsed against the floor in a heap. Doc Wilde shook paws with Buffalo Bill and walked over to John Henry. After giving his friend a hug, and a small amount of cash, as an apology for Jack, he turned around and strode to the unconscious rabbit. Looking down at him, Doc shook his head. "You've gotta watch out for that right hook." As he spoke, he felt a sensation of pain on his nose. When he was done, he stepped over the jackrabbit and started to head towards his room.

The fox closed the door behind him, still smiling. But it disappeared, when he turned around to face the bed. He thought of reading the letter, and he had to force himself to not laugh loudly. Instead, another smile appeared on his face, but this time, it was a dangerous smile. His emerald eyes twinkled with pleasure, as he took off his hat and tossed it on the nightstand next to the bed. The fox sat down on the mattress, pulled out his revolver. As he looked through the chamber and made sure that he had enough bullets, the fox started to whistle with pleasure. Suddenly, the whistle stopped as his mind wandered, taking him back to that one day. With his right paw, the fox unconsciously reached around his left shoulder and touched the spot, feeling the scars that was evident on it. As soon as his paw made contact with it, Nick took a deep breath and shuddered. He reached into his vest pocket and pulled out his pocket watch. After clicking it open, and reading the inscription, Nick closed it and placed it back in its rightful place. He smiled again, as he stared onto the ceiling, as the golden-eyed wolf appeared in his mind. The fox sighed with quiet joy, as a plan formed that would rid him of Vane once and for all.

Back in the lobby, Buffalo Bill Cody sighed. Opting to leave the jackrabbit alone, the giant buffalo followed Doc. Stepping over the jackrabbit, the buffalo walked into his room. As soon as he closed the door behind him, he slung his rifle off his shoulder, and once he held it in his paws, he shuddered with joy. Holding it in his right paw, Buffalo Bill walked towards his bed, and placed it between the furniture and the nightstand. He sighed with tiredness, and sat down. The buffalo folded his paws together, as he replayed the events of the day. He smiled and nodded his head.

_I ain't gonna regret this._

/

_The Redeye Territory – Between Bull Run and Tulare_

The fire cackled in the distance as Judy Hopps slowly started to fall asleep. Next to her, facing the river, Nicholas "Doc" Wilde snored loudly, his cowboy hat in its usual place. On the other side of the fire place, One-Eyed Jack curled up on the sandy ground, his back warming up to the heat. Several yards away from the campsite, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody sat, his back to a smooth boulder that was on the sandy riverbank. He had a perfect vantage of the forests, which was the Redeye territory, and his camp. In his paws, he held his beloved fifty-caliber, bolt action rifle, and his finger hovered over the trigger ever slightly. He was trained for this, being a former soldier.

They had left at the crack of dawn and ridden hard and fast, every beast anxious to arrive to Applehill. There were not a lot of conversing between the four animals as Doc Wilde took the lead, and Buffalo Bill bringing up the rear. As the hot sun reached its zenith point, the animals opted to take one hour break. After he climbed down from his horse, One-Eyed Jack gratefully collapsed on the sandy bank, and promptly fell asleep. Doc Wilde chuckled at the sight of it, and instead picked up a new cigarette out of his box. After realizing that he was out of matches, Buffalo Bill had obliged and the two animals shared smoked and swapped stories.

Judy Hopps sat down on the sand, as she watched the river rush by. Behind her, she could hear all four horses eating and was pleased with the progress that they had with the day. Doc slowly walked up to her and after taking off his hat, he sat down, his finger still curled around the cigarette. After a couple of minutes of silence, he drew out his pocket watch and after looking at the time, spoke "If we can continue on this pace, we could go further than I thought."

The bunny nodded her head silently, and she hesitated, trying to decide whether or not she wanted to broach the subject. Reaching a decision, she finally spoke, "Hey, Doc… you left in a hurry, last night for a bit. You okay?"

Doc Wilde was in the middle of inhaling and he paused, momentarily forgetting to exhale. The burning sensation of the smoke caused him to cough. Deciding that he was done, the vulpine quashed the end of the cigarette in the sands. Looking at his partner, he forced a smile. "Just peachy, darlin'. Like I said, I had a cough comin on and didn't want to draw attention."

"And you're absolutely sure that it had _nothing _to do with Vane?"

Doc hesitated but for only a second. He immediately answered, his paws spread wide open. "Nothing about Vane."

The bunny slowly nodded her head, electing to believe the gambler. With that nod, she looked back at the river. After a couple of minutes of silence, the bunny laid back onto the sand, enjoying the warm sun, her eyes closed. As soon as she fell asleep, Nick chuckled to himself, amazed that Judy could sleep anywhere. He looked away from the bunny and at the rushing river, but as he did, the pang of guilt in his heart grew larger with every second. The vulpine looked back at the rabbit and opened his mouth, and started to say something.

The pocket watch in his vest pressed against his chest and at the sensation, Nick closed his mouth. He licked his lips and shook his head. This was something he had to do, and he had to do it alone. He didn't want to drag anybody else into it. _But you've already dragged them into it…_ The thought nagged at him. Pushing it out of his mind, the fox walked to Midnight to care for him.

An hour had passed, and after looking at the sun, Buffalo Bill spoke, announcing that it was time to leave. His voice rumbled, waking up Judy and Jack. The bunny nodded her head with agreement, and the animals climbed up into their horses and continued their travel.

It was dark and the moon was glowing when they reached their campsite. Once they arrived, Doc Wilde nodded with satisfaction. They were still in Redeye Territory, but far out of it that they would be less likely to be bothered. Once the animals climbed off their horses, Doc Wilde knew that Judy would not want to be alone with Jack, so he grabbed the jackrabbit and the two of them went into the forests. Within fifteen minutes, both animals emerged, bringing items necessary for a fire. Doc got to work, while Jack loaded up the rest on his horse, knowing that it would save them some foraging time.

Once the fire was going, all four animals grabbed their sacks from their horses to have dinner. Once Judy sat down, she opened her sack and pulled out some fruits. She looked over at Nick and saw that he was buttering some bread. To her left was Buffalo Bill and the giant buffalo had a vegetable that she had never seen before. After Judy inquired about what it was, Buffalo Bill explained that it was a type of vegetation that grew by water, and it was his favorite.

Jack was the last to arrive, and he plopped down on the ground between Doc Wilde and Buffalo Bill. He opened his sack, and as soon as he did, Doc groaned loudly and shook his head. "Jack… you can't eat that."

"What do you mean?" Jack screeched. "A rabbit's gotta eat!"

Judy moved her head and at the sight of Jack's dinner, her stomach rolled and her appetite disappeared. Before the insane rabbit was the wolf's head, and Jack was blinking insanely, and licking his lips. Doc growled dangerously. "Find something else."

Jack pouted as he looked at the fox. "Just a nibble. Give me an ear, at least."

Judy quickly stood up, walked around the fire and grabbed Jack by the ears. She looked at the rabbit and motioned towards the giant buffalo. "I've had it up with you! Get rid of it, or I'll have Bill throw you in!" As Jack scrambled painfully underneath the bunny's powerful grip, he giggled insanely. "I see… you like it rough huh?"

Doc chuckled softly as he shook his head at that response. Judy rolled her eyes, pulled out her revolver and trained it on Jack's stomach. "I have no use for you," she spoke dangerously. "I don't think the fox or Mister Cody has a use for you either." The bunny looked pointedly at both animals, and immediately they both shook their heads.

Judy looked back at the unfortunate rabbit and continued. "I'm going to count to three right now." She cocked the hammer to her revolver and whispered with a low voice. "One…"

"Alright! Alright!" Jack whimpered. "You win! Let go of me poor ears!"

Keeping her revolver trained on the rabbit, Judy gestured towards Seaeyes and looked expectedly at the grave robber. Jack sighed resignedly and picked up the head. He looked at Judy, and nodded. The bunny followed the jackrabbit to the edge of the river and the grave robber turned around until he was looking at the farmer. "Alright… it's going in."

Jack licked his lips longingly as he watched it float down the stream to the unknown. He shook his head, and looked at Judy, attempting to get pity. He was disappointed when he got none. The rabbit sighed and shook his head. "You're no fun, marm!" But as soon as he said it, he beamed. "I still love you and you know you love me too." He winked his good eye insanely and scampered away towards the fire.

Judy sighed and followed the rabbit. She back down in front of the fire, and looked at both the fox and the buffalo. They both immediately became interested in their food, and looking up at the sky. Buffalo Bill grunted. "It's pretty tonight."

Nick immediately nodded his head. "You can see Orion up there."

Judy rolled her eyes. After she folded her dinner, and put it away, the bunny spoke, "Where'd you come from, Bill?"

The Buffalo Bill grunted in response. "I was born in Le Clare. Didn't last there very long and my family traveled north. After my parents passed away, I moved back down here and became a soldier. Spent a couple of years fightin' as a sniper and after I suffered an injury…" As he spoke, he lifted his right side of his shirt, revealing a scar from a bullet. "I was discharged." He sighed sadly. "They told me I wasn't needed anymore. Several months later, I met Annie Oakley and we started the travelin' show."

"What's that?" Judy inquired, interrupting the giant buffalo.

Buffalo Bill shrugged. "Just a show, showin' gunslinging tricks and other acts. It's a way to give some animals a place to stay if they didn't…"

"That's how I met Mister Cody!" Jack screeched. "It was the best several months of my life!"

"Why did you leave?" Doc interjected curiously.

Jack shrugged. "It was time."

Bill rolled his eyes and chuckled. "He didn't want to be the target anymore." He snorted. "I was never going to hit you."

The rabbit screeched. "You could've killed me several times!"

Buffalo Bill chuckled in response at Jack's unease. Several seconds of silence passed, and he finally looked back at Judy and spoke, "It's getting late. You all need some sleep." He looked at the forest and spoke, "Even though we're far out, I still don't trust the Redeyes. I'm going to take first watch and Jack can have the second."

With that statement, put his dinner away, picked up his rifle and started to leave camp. As he did, Judy looked at Doc Wilde, who was wrapping up his meal. She spoke, "What about you?"

Knowing what she meant, Nick smiled. "I was born in a small town in the southeast, named Griffin. When I was seven, I became an apprentice to a dentist." He smiled as his eyes were in a faraway place. "But I was bored. So when I became thirteen, I said goodbye to my parents, came out west and just generally wandered about."

"_Thirteen?"_

Nick nodded. "It wasn't an easy life."

Judy nodded with agreement. Finally, she pushed "And you ended up in Tulare?"

Doc ignited a cigarette. After taking a drag, the fox looked down at the ground as he considered his next words. "Several times. John Henry was with me in Griffin, and I left first. But when I heard that he had moved to Tulare, I needed to see him. Ended up stayin' in Tulare for several years." He smiled. "Tulare was really the only town where I settled."

Judy sighed, then a thought struck her. "You said you had a daughter. When did you have her?"

Nick's smile was frozen on his face as he realized that his pocket watch was pressed against his chest. Finally, the fox shook his head and spoke, "What about you? You came from the east?"

Judy forced herself not to throw her hands up in the air. Instead she nodded. "I was the only daughter to a banker and a seamstress. My father was wealthy, but my mother came from a modest home. So…. I was born into money, but I… I guess that I got my mama's qualities." She shook her head. "My father was not a kind man. You see, the drink always had a hold on him."

Nick nodded with understanding, the orange glow emitting from the cigarette as the fox took another drag.

"But if it wasn't for my father, I wouldn't have met Wyatt." The bunny smiled at the memory.

Doc raised his eyebrow, and the bunny continued, "He hired Wyatt to be a stagecoach driver to transport some of his… business out of town. When he was done, he returned to the house for his pay. But Father stiffed him and paid him less. Mother wasn't around to support him, and I gave him what he owed and…" she shrugged.

"And?"

Judy smiled. "We started seeing each other. Like I said, Wyatt fancied me with his tales. When Father found out, he disapproved and disowned me. So, I ran off with him."

Nick whistled with admiration. "That's courage. What about your mother?"

Judy shook her head. "She's still with Father. I still write her, but Father disapproves." She shrugged. "I've been thinking…. I need to have a talk with him and explain my actions… although I know that it's not necessary."

Nick smiled, with newfound respect. A few minutes of silence passed between them and Judy realized that she had not heard Jack. She looked around the fire and saw that he was fast asleep. At the sight of the jackrabbit, the bunny realized that she was tired and she looked at Nick. After nodding her head, Judy spoke, "I should get some sleep."  
Doc nodded with agreement. Judy laid on her back on the sandy shore, closing her eyes. After a couple of minutes, she rolled over to her side, feigning sleep. Doc looked sideways at the bunny and after he was confident, the fox reached into his pocket and pulled out his watch. As soon as he did, the fox shuddered with anticipation, waiting for the new day to come. He looked up from the watch and looked northward into the distance, where Applehill laid, past the horizon. The fox slowly nodded his head, knowing that the plan that he came up with last night was a good one. It may cost him his life, but he didn't care, as long as his enemy died. The vulpine looked back into the watch, closed it and kissed it one more time. Feigning sleep, Judy saw the whole action, and her ears picked up on the words that the vulpine muttered. "For you, my dear… For you."

As the moon traveled in the night sky, it caused the stars to gleam with life. Buffalo Bill left his vantage point and walked towards the campfire. It had dissolved into a pile of embers, and the buffalo grunted. It was a cold night, and a good fire was needed. He put down his rifle and started to urge it back to life.

As he did, a pair of eyes watched from the forests. After they saw that the fire dissolved into embers, they stood up from their hiding spot, pulled out their revolver and looked behind them. After urging his fellow compatriots to start moving, they stealthily made their way across the plains, towards the unsuspecting campers.

Kneeling down into the sand, and making sure he didn't disturb the slumber of his compatriots, Buffalo Bill brought the fire back to life. As he did, a loud neigh from Midnight caused him to stand up, his rifle in his right paw. Out in the distance, underneath the moonlight, the animal could see a large group of weasels. The leader cursed as he realized that they had been spotted, thanks to the horse. He gave a loud cry, and as he did, the group started to run, firing their revolvers at them, knowing that they were way out of range.

Years of training was at the buffalo's side. As his compatriots woke up with a start, Doc flinging down his hat and drawing his revolvers and Judy with her repeater, Jack screeched with fright and ran around the fire, cowering behind the giant frame of the buffalo. Both Doc and Judy didn't shoot back, knowing that they couldn't hit the charging group. Instead the bunny and the fox smartly waited, in order to conserve ammo. Bill took a deep breath, closed one eye, took aim and fired, the first bullet smashing through the weasel's head. The group stopped suddenly, surprised that their leader was dead at a great distance. Buffalo Bill smiled grimly, calmly ejecting a casing, loaded a new bullet, closed the chamber, brought it up to his eye, and fired again.

The second bullet hit a second weasel and he fell down without a word. Seeing that their comrades died quickly due to the buffalo's onslaught, they all turned around and fled, leaderless back towards the forests. Because they were already halfway across the plains, Buffalo Bill's accuracy took down two more before the group arrived at the trees. Once they disappeared, the giant buffalo breathed heavily, adrenaline rushing through his body. Doc chuckled happily and looked at the buffalo appreciatively. "Good shootin' sir."

Buffalo Bill nodded gratefully. "It's nothing." He responded modestly. Judy rolled her eyes at the buffalo's humbleness and spoke, "Since you, well, kept us alive, I'll take the watch. You go to sleep."

Bill shook his head. "Jack can finish the watch." He glared at the jackrabbit. "As a punishment for not listen' to Judy."

Jack's protest died off underneath the giant buffalo's glare. Judy chuckled as the jackrabbit threw his hands up in the air and muttered to himself, "No one appreciates the fact that I warned them about Callahan… And I didn't have dinner…" He placed both his paws on his head and moaned loudly. "Jack's gonna staaaarve!" he wailed.

Judy rolled her eyes as Jack slinked off to Buffalo Bill's vantage point. After he disappeared into the darkness, Judy returned to her spot. She laid down, and stared up into the stars, shaking her head to herself, grateful for animals such as Doc Wilde and Buffalo Bill Cody.

/

_Bull Run_

The four animals arrived into Bull Run by mid-morning, with the goal of resupplying and leaving straight away for Applehill. They had ridden long and hard, stopping late to get sleep and leaving at the break of dawn. Once they left the Redeye territory, they all started to relax, and decided not to establish a watch schedule. They maintained this system for several days until they arrived to Bull Run. Once they arrived at the Pink Pony, Judy Hopps noticed that something was vastly different. For one, the whole town was empty. The streets were quiet and the majority of the shops were closed. She looked at Nicholas "Doc" Wilde with an inquisitive look on her face, and Nick responded by shrugging his shoulders. William "Buffalo Bill" Cody climbed off his horse, followed by One-Eyed Jack, and hitched it to the post. "Well…" Buffalo Bill spoke. "This is strange."

Taking charge, Judy spoke, "But it seems like the saloon's open. Buffalo Bill, go and find out what's goin' on. Doc and I'll resupply for the trip north to Applehill."

The giant buffalo nodded wordlessly and grabbed Jack by the shoulder. Within a couple of seconds, they disappeared inside the building. Judy pulled Breeze and navigated her down the street, looking both to her left and right to see which shop was open. Realizing that Doc was behind her, the bunny turned right down the intersection, before the Sherriff's station and continued down. Smiling with victory, Judy saw a general goods store still open. After pointing it out to Nick, both animals hitched their horses.

Taking the lead, Judy pushed the door opened and stepped inside. She called out, "Hello?"

There was no answer, and the bunny shrugged to herself. She looked at Doc and both animals set to work, gathering supplies and food that they needed. Once they brought it to the counter, the bunny called out again, "Hello?"

Within a couple of minutes, footsteps could be heard, and a door behind the counter swung open. Expecting to see a shop owner, Judy was surprised to see a young deer, no more than ten years old. The deer grabbed a stool, which was leaning against the counter and set it in the right place. He climbed up on it and smiled broadly at the two animals.

Breaking the silence, the bunny spoke, "Where are your parents?"

Not breaking eye-contact, the deer responded, "Out."

"Where?"

"They're at a funeral of some sorts." He shrugged. "They don't tell me everything, you know."

"What's your name?" she inquired.

"I'm sorry, marm." The deer responded. "I'm not allowed ta talk to strangers."

Nick chuckled at the response and nodded his head. "That's a good answer. Your parents must be smart animals."

The deer looked at Nick and then back at the bunny. "Especially foxes. Pappy says that they're not good animals."

Nick's smile disappeared and he sighed. He looked at Judy and spoke, "I'll be right outside."

After Doc left, Judy looked back at the deer. "That's not very nice." She scolded. "That fox is the nicest fox I've ever met!"

The child laughed. "You're a bunny and you're hanging out with a fox?" He shook his head and returned his attention to the items on the table.

Judy's mouth shot open, but deciding against it, she waited until the child came up with the total price. When the deer gave it to her, the bunny nodded in agreement and paid for it. She turned, went outside and grabbed Nick. As soon as she did, she saw Buffalo Bill and One-Eyed Jack riding on their horses, heading for the small store. Both the bunny and the fox quickly went back into the store and grabbed their supplies. Within a couple of minutes, Breeze, Midnight and Buffalo Bill's horse was ladened with goods.

Breeze had complained, but after a look from Judy, the horse shut right up. The bunny looked up at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "What's going on here?"

The giant buffalo spoke, his voice rumbling, "Dog in the saloon said that there was a funeral. Seems like a deputy's died."

"Which one?" Judy asked.

"An antelope. His name was Gary."

At the sound of the statement, Nick snorted. "Gary the antelope?" he asked, remembering him. He tried to not smile and put on a sad façade. "How tragic."

While Buffalo Bill was talking, Judy looked sideways at One-Eyed Jack. The jackrabbit was suddenly interested in his saddle. When Buffalo Bill finished his sentence, Judy immediately spoke up, "What happened, Jack?"

Jack hesitated, then blinked his good eye rapidly. "Mebbe Callahan's wolves killed Gary. Mebbe not."

"Did you help them?" Judy's voice became dangerous.

Jack rolled his eye and threw his hands up in the air with exasperation. "How could I, marm? I was in the flippin' cell!"

Judy shook her head. She looked at the fox and spoke, "I think we need to drop by. Give our respects to the antelope…" She stopped herself and continued, "Gary… and say hi to Bogo."

Nick opened his mouth to respond, but Jack immediately cut him off. "Bogo's gone." He screeched. "He's heading to do the same thing we are!"

The fox groaned audibly and spoke, "Bogo's in Applehill with Hickok?"

Jack nodded and responded, "He left several days ago. He musta already be there."

"Great." Doc responded. He looked at Judy and spoke, "Just what we needed."

"I can handle Bogo," Judy said, looking at her partner. "Just… do what you do."

Nick smiled. "What's that?"

"Be yourself."

"That I can do, darlin'" Nick answered, his southern drawl heavier than usual. He took off his hat, brought it forward appreciatively, and placed it back on his head. Judy wheeled Breeze away from the store and looked at Buffalo Bill. "Why don't you take the lead to Applehill? Doc can bring up the rear."

Doc smiled and nodded at the statement. But his smile disappeared as Buffalo Bill Cody started to canter out of the empty town, with Judy and Jack in tow. Nick hesitated for a couple of seconds, and shook his head. He urged Midnight forward, knowing that his plans may have been ruined.

/

_Applehill_

Applehill teemed with life. Animals of varying species walked among the buildings that lined the road. Women giggled among each other, some holding umbrellas over their heads to protect them from the sun. Well-dressed men kept their paws on their guns, as they watched the strangers ride past them. However, instead of casting suspicious glances at them, they merely nodded their heads and continued their walk. The streets were clean, and the horses stood in front of stores quietly, waiting for their owners and friends. Newspaper boys yelled out, holding out the day paper in their paws, searching for buyers, exclaiming that the bank in the city had been hit. Within a few minutes, Judy Hopps saw a boy jump down from his stool, his paw full of money, and his stack of papers empty. A shopkeeper looked up from his work, sweeping the deck at the riders, nodded his head and called out, "If you're new here, be sure to visit me! I've got everything you need!" The scent of baking caught the bunny's nose as she looked to her left. A baker was putting out several loaves of bread on the windowsill, ready to cool down from the hot stove. The warm sun and a cool breeze blowing through from the mountains to the north mingled with each other, providing the perfect climate.

Judy was taken aback at first, as the city was vastly different than Bull Run. Unlike Bull Run, Applehill actually paid attention and gave respect to strangers. She grunted to herself as a thought ran through her mind, _Must be why they were hit._

Reading her mind, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody spoke out of the corner of his mouth, his deep voice rumbling. "They're nice." He sighed and shook his head. "Too nice."

"Must be because of Hickok." Nicholas "Doc" Wilde responded. "He must be holding a tight leash around this here of a town." The fox shook his head and grimaced. "I hate it."

Judy looked sideways at her partner. "You hate it here, but like Tulare? You even preferred Bull Run?"

Nick held up a finger, and spoke, "See, there's the difference between here and Bull Run, darlin'. Bull Run's _exciting. _Applehill seems… _boring._" He rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry, marm. But I have to agree with Doc Wilde, here." One-Eyed Jack spoke up from behind them. "They're too…." Jack stopped himself, searching for the right word. "_Civilized." _He beamed proudly for broadening his vocabulary.

"Have you been here?" Buffalo Bill asked, directing his question to the fox.

Nick shook his head, and he glanced to his right. In the corner, underneath the shade of a patio roof, a married couple kissed each other. Nick grimaced as he echoed Buffalo Bill. "It's _too_ nice."

Judy rolled her eyes and gave a small smile. "Quit complainin' Doc. You didn't make it this far to bail out because of a town?"

Doc returned her smile. "Darlin' it's going to take a lot more than a town to be rid of me." He gave her a wink. "I don't think I'd ever want to leave this lovely partnership anyhow."

"Why not?"

"You're exciting." Then the fox leaned forward and spoke, his voice low. "And pretty." With that, he leaned back and winked again.

Judy could feel her face reddening as she looked away. But as she continued riding, she could feel Doc's emerald eyes on her, causing her heart to dance. Squashing any feeling, the bunny looked at the buffalo and spoke, "Where's the station?"

Buffalo Bill nodded in the direction that they were riding. "This way, then we take a right."

As the four animals rode towards the station, a thought struck the bunny. She pulled Breeze to a stop, and after they noticed that she did, the three animals circled around, and faced her, confusion written on each animal. She wrapped the rains around the horn of her saddle and looked at One-Eyed Jack and spoke, "He's a wanted rabbit."

As soon as she said that, realization struck both Buffalo Bill and Doc Wilde and both animals looked at Jack. The rabbit looked between the three of them and spoke, "What? Why you all lookin' at me?" he asked. The lightbulb went off and Jack cackled loudly. "Oh! We're going to the Sherriff's! Not to mention Bogo's there. He's gonna kill me!" He clapped his hands excitedly, "Now I'm interested in what you're gonna do, sweetie." He blew a kiss at Judy.

"I'm thinkin' we just turn him in and leave him behind." Judy spoke. She raised her paw and spoke, "Who agrees?"

Both Buffalo Bill and Doc Wilde immediately raised their paws. Jack's smile disappeared. "Marm! I… Don't I get a say?"

Judy shook her head and urged Breeze forward. As she did, she called back to the forlorn rabbit, "Don't even think about runnin'. But if you do… there's a bullet with your name on it." She smiled to herself as Jack exaggeratedly gasped. She wouldn't turn in the rabbit, but had threatened him to try to force him to behave. As the bunny continued on her way, Buffalo Bill and Nick shared a look, smiled at each other and started to follow her, leaving Jack alone.

"She's just jokin… yeah… She's joking." The jackrabbit smiled to himself. He started to wheel his horse around, but then stopped himself. He looked back and saw Judy look behind her shoulder, her paw on her revolver. "I'm comin' marm!" He called forward. Jack urged his horse after them.

The closer they got to the station, the faster Nick's heartbeat. With each step that Midnight took, Doc could feel his mouth becoming dry, and sweat starting to roll down his face. But every time Judy looked behind her, Doc forced himself to give him a smile. He rounded the corner with them, and as soon as he did, he felt his pocket watch hit against his chest. Doc exhaled suppressing any sense of nervousness that appeared in the pit of his stomach. The fox reached into his jacket pocket, pulled out a cigarette and lit a match. He waved the match, extinguishing the flame, and took a deep drab. After blowing out, the fox closed his eyes, feeling his nerves settle. He did it a few more times, before he was fully satisfied, and threw the cigarette into the dirt, only to be squashed by a passerby a few seconds later.

"That's it." Buffalo Bill spoke, his western accent rumbling and reaching Judy's ears. Judy glanced in the direction that the giant buffalo was looking at, and was surprised to see the condition of the building. Unlike the other buildings in Applehill, which seemed older and rundown, the Sherriff station was new. White paint gleamed underneath the sun as two windows on both sides of the front door, dominated the wall. Four posts lined the deck, providing shade as the porch roof sat on top of it. Above the roof, a sign, painted in bright yellow, simply read as "Sherriff" overlapped the white building. On the front of the deck, a brown wooden railing lined the premises and next to the front door, a wooden bench laid. In front of the wooden railings, two hitching posts could be seen, with troughs in front of them. Two horses was already standing, tied to the left post, so Judy, Doc and One-Eyed Jack took the second post. Buffalo Bill Cody navigated his horse to the right of the first post, and climbed down. He patted his horse, tied it to the hitching post and nodded his head.

Judy followed the buffalo's example. Before she moved away, she looked pointedly at Breeze, her eyebrows arching upwards.

_Yeah… I know. No gossipin'_ Breeze shook her mane. _You're no fun._

Judy sighed and stepped away from her horse. She nodded at the animal standing next to Buffalo Bill's horse and spoke, "Bogo's here. I recognize his horse."

Buffalo Bill nodded in Judy's direction. "Aye, and Wild Bill also. That's good."

The four animals stood on the deck underneath the shade, all happy that they finally arrived at the building. Judy stretched and nodded at her companions, then turned to face the door. She reached out and placed her paw on the knob, but as soon as she did, the bunny felt it twist. The farmer let go and the door opened inwardly revealing an animal. At the sight of him, Buffalo Bill laughed loudly with greeting.

A black furred Jack Russell terrier stepped out from the inside of the building that he commanded. As he did, Judy's attention was immediately caught by the dog's mannerism. He stood upright, and had his left paw behind his back while his right paw was holding the cigarette and as he looked between the animals silently, he never broke pose. The black furred dog wore a white buttoned down shirt, tucked into black dress pants. Coiled around his pants was a dark belt. A golden pocket watch chain hung out of his shirt pocket, gleaming underneath the sunlight. On top of his head, a brown cowboy hat matched the dark colors that the dog wore. Over his shirt, Judy noticed that the dog wore a leather holster vest, with two revolvers hanging near his chest. Around his finger was a lit cigarette, in which he brought to his mouth and inhaled. Finally, after he exhaled, he dropped it on the deck and squashed it underneath his boot.

After staring at Buffalo Bill wordlessly, the dog smiled, and took another step. Suddenly, his smile disappeared as he pulled out both of his revolvers and trained them at the giant buffalo. In a flash, Buffalo Bill cocked his rifle and trained it at the dog's head. The three onlookers stepped back nervously, afraid that they were caught in the middle of a potential feud.

Finally, the dog chuckled and spun his revolvers around his fingers. First, he holstered his left revolver, a thirty-six caliber Colt Navy revolver. As soon as it was safely holstered, the dog put his second revolver, a forty-four caliber Smith and Yakinson away, chortling loudly "You've gotten slower, Cody!" his Mid-West accent evident. He stepped forward and allowed himself to be embraced by the giant buffalo. After the two friends let go of each other, Wild Bill looked up at his friend and spoke, "and older!"

Buffalo Bill snorted. "Of course I look older, you ol' dog." His western accent became heavy with his joy. "It's been years since you've seen me. I was probably half my height when we protected that coach comin' from Antelope City to Deer Creek." The buffalo shook his head at the memory. "That was a good time."

The dog rolled his eyes. "Yeah. Until the driver got shot by that bandit."

Buffalo Bill shrugged. "We still got the passengers there safely!"

The terrier smiled. "And the wagon was full of bullet holes." He shook his head. "It's been far too long, friend."

"It has." Remembering that three other animals stood next to the buffalo, the giant animal looked at Wild Bill and gestured towards Judy first. The bunny stepped forward, her paw out, and the dog shook it as the buffalo introduced them. "This is Judy Hopps, Nicholas Wilde… and you may recognize that rabbit from the wanted posters, One-Eyed Jack."

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok shook each animal's paw, except for Jack's, his bushy mustache twitching underneath his nose. "Pleasure to meet ya." The dog glared at Jack. "We have an empty cell for you. I definitely recognize you, rabbit."

Jack threw his paws in the air. "Can't nobody take pity on an old jackrabbit?" He screeched. Then he looked with begging at the giant buffalo. "I'm helpin' ya! Please spare me!" The dog watched as Buffalo Bill shared a look with the bunny. After the bunny nodded, he spoke, "Fine." The sniper looked at the dog and spoke, "He's good and he's with us."

Wild Bill glared at the jackrabbit and spoke, "If you step out of turn in my town…" He shook his head. "I don't have to explain what's gonna happen to you, do I?"

The dog immediately stepped backwards as the insane jackrabbit fell on all fours and crawled towards him. Jack started kissing the ground where the sherriff stood, mumbling insanely "May you have good fortune for the rest of your life, sir. May all the gods honor you!" He cackled with glee, stood up and walked back to where he stood.

Wild Bill grimaced. He looked at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "What're they doing with you?"

Buffalo Bill sighed. "It's a long story, but they're not here because of me. We're here because of her." He nodded towards Judy.

Wild Bill stroked his mustache with his right paw, and unconsciously moved his left paw behind him, out of habit. His eyes narrowed at the bunny and he spoke, "A woman…" he paused and nodded his head. "And a bunny… Hopps you said?"

After Judy nodded, Wild Bill continued. "I heard about your husband. My apologies. I've never had the fortune to meet him, but he seemed like a great man."

Judy opened her mouth to answer, but the dog continued, shifting his gaze towards the fox standing next to her. Nick was leaning against the post, both of his paws loosely gripping his revolvers. "A bunny and a fox." Wild Bill spoke. His eyes looked the fox up and down. "A southern fox…. And a gambler."

Nick pushed off the post and spoke, "How'd you know that?"

"I've got a knack for these things, young'un."

Buffalo Bill chortled. "Your Sherriff probably told him."

Wild Bill rolled his eyes and glared at his friend. He threw his paws up with exasperation and spoke, "There you go again! Ruining my fun!"

The dog sighed at Buffalo Bill's laughter. He moved to the front of the station and spoke, "Well, if you're not here with Buffalo Bill. What are you doin' here, then?"

"Buffalo Bill told me that you have Charles Vane in custody. One of Callahan's boys?"

The Sherriff nodded. "That's right."

"Well… we're organizing a group to take down Callahan and his crew."

The dog looked up at the buffalo, and the ex-soldier nodded, confirming her words. The Sherriff slowly nodded, while stroking his mustache in thought. "And you need my help?"

"That's right." Judy spoke. "Buffalo Bill here told us you could help."

"Us?" the dog spoke. "How many of you do you have?"

Judy hesitated, afraid to answer. Nick jumped in, a smile on his face, and spoke, "Just the four of us you see. "

Wild Bill Hickok stopped stroking his mustache. "Just the four of you? A sniper, a gambler, a farmer and a grave robber?" The dog chuckled softly. "I'm sorry, marm, but it's going to have to take a lot more than a conversation to convince me to help you."

"Not even if it means taking down Callahan?"

Wild Bill gestured towards the town. "Look at this town, Miss Hopps. If I leave, this town will go down into chaos, and chaos is _not _what we need." The dog lowered his voice. "I don't want it to become like Bull Run." The Jack Russell Terrier shook his head. "I'm sorry. I cannot help you. I love my town too much to go on a… wild chase."

Judy opened her mouth to answer, but Doc jumped in again. "Are you a gamblin' man, Mister Hickok?"

The dog looked at the fox and slowly nodded. "I've been known to play some cards. Why?"

Nick took a step forward and spoke, "Then let's make a wager… or a deal… However a Sherriff in your position would want to see it. Now, I heard about you, Hickok. You're a cautious, and dangerous dog, but you are definitely not stupid." His southern drawl became heavier as the fox tried to charm the Sherriff. "As a gambler, you know when the odds are against you, and that's what helped you survive. Now, this is the deal… or wager…Let us help you bring Vane to the train station in Springfield. While we're helpin' you, you can see the odds play out. If you like the odds, then help us. If you don't like it, then you can walk, and we won't stop you."

Wild Bill Hickok stroked his mustache again. He looked at Buffalo Bill and the giant buffalo spoke, his deep voice rumbling, "I'd take that wager. I've seen them fight. They're good and smart. Besides, you can't say no to few extra animals, right?"

The dog looked back at the fox and slowly nodded his head. "Alright, Doc." He stuck his hand out and both animals shook it. "Prove yourselves to me, and I'll help you."

With the deal sealed, Wild Bill Hickok looked at all the animals and spoke, "If you'll follow me, Vane's inside." He turned around and stepped inside the station. Buffalo Bill followed his friend with Jack in tow. Judy looked at her partner and nodded her head. "Thank you." She turned and followed the grave robber and Nick sighed to himself. He took his hat off and dusted it against his leg. "We need all the help we can get." With that thought, the fox followed his partner.

**Author's Note 1 / 2: You may be wondering where the next chapter for the Silver Clan is. The truth is, I am done with it, but I do not like how it turned out. So I'm going back to the drawing board for it, and changing some scenes or just restarting the whole chapter again. Thank you for your patience!**

**Author's Note 2/2: I hope you enjoyed this chapter! I also hope that Jack didn't turn you away from this story because he is a crazed graverobber that's also a cannibal. This chapter will be the final mention of cannibalism, I promise. Anyways, a review is always appreciated!**


	9. Chapter 9: The Return Home

Chapter 9: The Return Home

"_Never miss the chance to shut up." ~_Judge Roy Bean

_Applehill_

The room in the Sherriff's station was small. As Judy Hopps walked in, she noticed a desk to her immediate right, with a chair behind it. On the table was a lantern, and a stack of papers. In front of the papers, an ashtray laid, full of used cigarettes. In front of the desk, and seated down was a familiar cape buffalo, dressed in a long-sleeved blue buttoned down shirt and brown pants. The bunny moved her attention away and noticed that the room ended in a wall before her. At the wall a small hallway ran to the right and disappeared out of sight. To her left, another table was situated, weapons and ammunition laying sporadically upon it. Two animals sat around the table, a lion and a dingo, sitting next to each other, cleaned their rifles, and started to load it.

One-Eyed Jack stopped suddenly in front of her and Judy collided into him. When she backed up, apologizing quickly, Jack flashed her a smile, "Don't worry about it marm…ol' Jack needs all the lovin' he can get!" At the sight of her expression, the insane rabbit giggled.

His giggle stopped immediately as William "Buffalo Bill" Cody turned around and smacked him on the back of his head with his paw. Jack stumbled forward and fell. Judy caught him and as soon as she did, Jack looked up at the pretty bunny. "I knew you'd be there to catch me, marm!" He closed his one good eye and puckered his lips. Judy audibly groaned and let go, causing Jack to fall with a squeak and hit the floor with a _thud._

As soon as Jack fell, the Sherriff of Bull Run stood up out of his chair, and drew his revolver. Training it on the grave robber, he growled. "What's he doing here?" He looked at the bunny, and surprise flashed across his face. "What are _you _doing here?"

The door closed next to the cape buffalo, and the Sherriff moved his revolver. Nicholas "Doc" Wilde strode in, a smile on his face, and his emerald eyes twinkling. Bogo pointed his revolver at the gambler, his voice filled with frustration. "What's _he_ doing here? I told you I never wanted to see him again."

James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickock took a step forward, stroking his mustache. "Now, now, Sherriff. We're all friends here."

Bogo snorted derisively. "Friends? I will never be friends with that fox… or that criminal down there!" He nodded towards the jackrabbit.

Wild Bill walked the several feet until he was standing in front of the Sherriff. The Cape Buffalo was bigger than him, but the smaller dog stood his ground, staring resolutely at the frustrated Sheriff. After a couple of seconds, Chief Bogo withered underneath the cold, steely eyes that was the famed scout. His bravado crumbled, and the Cape Buffalo slowly holstered his revolver. As Judy watched, she was amazed to see that the smaller dog gave off an authoritative vibe. Her purple eyes gleamed with surprise as the dog, not once leaving his stance, waited until the Cape Buffalo fully holstered his revolver. Finally, Hickok nodded his head with thanks. He turned around, and while stroking his mustache, looked at the bunny behind him, speaking out loud for everyone to hear.

"Now…" Hickok spoke, looking at Doc Wilde. "I must admit, I don't have much trust for foxes." He glanced at Nick, and the gambler only responded by giving him a friendly smile. "But Doc, here, comes with a recommendation from my friend, Buffalo Bill." The dog nodded at the giant buffalo.

Bogo holstered his revolver and spoke, "Buffalo Bill, huh? I've heard of you." The Cape buffalo held out a paw. "Bogo."

Buffalo Bill grasped the paw of the Cape buffalo, smiling friendly as he shook it, his heavy western accent enunciating every word. "You have me at a disadvantage, Bogo, Sherriff of Bull Run. You know me, but I don't know you."

The Cape buffalo shrugged. "I'm just a lowly Sherriff of Bull Run. My job's to keep that town safe."

"Bull Run, huh?" Buffalo Bill spoke. He looked at Hickok and smiled, a glint of mischievousness crossing his eyes. "You must be desperate to recruit someone who's doing a bang-up job so far."

Judy's mouth dropped open at the scathing insult that the buffalo delivered. Nick started to laugh loudly at the sight of Bogo's expression, but as soon as he did, the fox doubled over coughing. Concerned, the bunny walked over to him, but the fox held up a paw. Once he wiped his mouth his handkerchief, Wilde stood up straight and gave a huge smile. The only sound that broke the silence was One-Eyed Jack.

The jackrabbit giggled insanely. "I can… I can agree to that! I broke out of his jail! Hohoho!"

Bogo glared at the jackrabbit, but the grave robber did not stop his joy. "I'm not afraid of you, Bogo!" He stuck out his tongue, but immediately stopped when he turned around and looked at Judy. The bunny had folded her arms and was glaring at him disapprovingly. One-Eyed Jack stopped his giggling, and his ears flopped downwards. He sighed and walked to the door, where he proceeded to bang his head. With each thump, Jack spoke a word, "Bad… rabbit. Bad… rabbit."

Ignoring the thumping, Wild Bill turned and spoke to Judy. "This is going to be our group. I only expected Bogo and Buffalo Bill to come, but with the extra three beasts." The Sherriff nodded his head, "I'm thankful for your help." With that, he moved over to the table and motioned towards the animals. Pointing to the lion and dingo, Wild Bill spoke, "These are my deputies, Danny and Red." The Jack Russel terrier moved back to the center of the room and after standing at attention, he spoke, "Any questions?"

Nick Wilde's heart skipped a beat as he heard his partner speak up. "Yeah. Where's Vane?"

Wild Bill nodded. "He's in the cells downstairs."

"Can I see him?"

The dog hesitated. "With all due respect, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not?" she asked.

The Sherriff shrugged. "It's a rule. Nobody other than meself or my deputies can go into the cells."

"Then bring him up." Judy stood, with her hands on her hips, her foot tapping impatiently. "I don't have all day, Hickok."

Wild Bill looked at the bunny, then back at Buffalo Bill. Finally the dog laughed. "Hohoho! A bunny with some fire in her… I can respect that." Stroking his mustache, he turned and looked at the dingo. "Red! Go fetch Vane out of the cellar and bring him here!"

The dingo nodded wordlessly and placed his rifle on the table. He walked to the end of the room, turned to his right and disappeared out of sight.

When the dingo disappeared, Doc Wilde moved from his position at the front of the room. Pretending to be interested in the posters that was behind the table, Nick moved around the desk and elected to stand in the back corner of the room, the closest to the hallway. It was there he leaned, with his right shoulder against the wall, his heart beating quickly with the passing of each second. He exhaled nervously as he felt his pocket watch press against his chest. The fox slowly nodded his head to himself and gave a smile. The conversation in the background dimmed as the fox allowed himself to be taken back in memory.

A red furred fox appeared in his mind, smiling broadly. She was wearing a blue dress, with a white bow on the top of her head. In her hands, she held a doll, showing it proudly to him. "Look what Mama got me!" She giggled as Nick picked her up and held her, embracing the fox. That image was replaced with the sound of a gunshot and a child screaming, followed by flames. Suddenly, pain flashed across his left shoulder, and Nick winced to himself. He unconsciously reached up and touched the scars with his right paw, and as soon as he made contact, he snapped back to the present.

Pawsteps could be heard behind him. As the deputy approached with the lupine, Nick readied himself. Judy's angry voice cut across the room. "What do you mean he said that he was Vane?" Judy demanded. "Have you even seen the wolf before?"

Wild Bill Hickok shook his head. "There's no reason for him to lie, Hopps." The Jack Russell terrier rolled his eyes and spoke, "He said he's Vane and I believe him!"

"I'll be the judge of that," Judy shot back, holding her ground. "You don't seem to know that I hunted him down!"

Not thinking rationally, the dog yelled back, "And if you did a proper job the first time, we wouldn't be in this mess!"

"Hickok! That's enough!" Buffalo Bill bellowed, his deep voice rumbling through the room. Judy's anger seeped away as it was replaced by sadness and Wild Bill, realizing what he said sighed.

A couple of seconds of silence passed between them. Wild Bill Hickok pulled out his pocketwatch and clicked it open, checking the time. After closing it, he spun the chain around and caught it in his right paw. As soon as he caught the item, the dog spoke, "My apologies Miss Hopps. I usually let my emotions get the better of me. Please understand that I did not mean what I said, and I hope that you can forgive me."

The only noise that could be heard was the _thump… thump_ as One-Eyed Jack continued his assault on the door. Wild Bill held his paw out, waiting for Judy to accept it.

The bunny narrowed her eyes with suspicion as she glanced at the dog. There seemed to be truth to his words, but the eyes… the eyes never lie. After a couple of seconds of looking into the chocolate brown eyes of the dog, the farmer was pleased to see that Wild Bill was telling the truth and she held out her paw. Buffalo Bill and Sherriff Bogo watched as the two animals made amends. As soon as Judy and Wild Bill made contact to shake hands, pandemonium ensued as Red came around the corner, holding a wolf.

The dingo felt himself be pushed heavily to the right, as Nick Wilde rushed the deputy. As soon as Red lost control of the lupine, Wilde grabbed the wolf and spun him around to his left, slamming the handcuffed lupine against the door. Balling his right paw into a fist, the fox drove it into his stomach in a frenzied rage.

"You killed her!" the vulpine yelled, his eyes full of tears. He drove his fist again into the stomach, causing the wolf to double over and cough. The fox then pushed the wolf back up and brought his left fist to the side of his head. The lupine's eyes rolled to the back of his head, and his legs crumbled.

"Nick!" Judy yelled with surprise. Wild Bill Hickok turned around quickly. The fox ignored his partner and continued with his onslaught.

As the wolf went down, he grabbed the wolf by the collar and threw him down on the ground, kicking him in the side cruelly. "You should have killed me!" He was rewarded with the sound of a _snap_, the evident of a rib breaking. As soon as he did, he pulled out his forty caliber revolver and took aim at the wolf.

"Nick! Stop!" Judy called out angrily. "What are you doing?"

Her voice was dim and his fury knew no bounds. "Vane must die!" He snarled. The fox raised his revolver and took aim.

"That's not Vane!" Judy yelled. "Nick… Doc! Stop! That's not Vane!"

Nick wiped his tears with his paw and forced himself to clear his vision. On the ground before him, was a wolf… but… Judy was right. It was not Vane.

"What…?" Nick asked. His words were cut off as he did not see a giant shadow overcome him as Sherriff Bogo pushed him backwards. Nick fell onto the ground, breathing heavily as Bogo stood over him, his revolver trained on him. "Give me an excuse, _fox._" Bogo breathed heavily. "Just one!"

Nick held his paws up, and allowed himself to be picked up by the dingo. Wild Bill Hickok glared angrily at the bloodied wolf and up at the fox. He looked his deputy and yelled, "Throw him in jail!"

"Don't!" Judy protested. "We need him!"

Wild Bill chortled and whirled back to the bunny, both of his paws resting on the hilt of his revolvers. "Any deal that we may have, is now broken! I do _not_ like the odds anymore!" He looked at Red and spoke, "Do it!"

Red started to move, grabbing the fox. But once he did, Wild Bill Hickok heard a hammer cock backwards, and felt a revolver on the back of his skull. At the sound of that, the lion stood up and trained his gun at Judy. Bogo kept his revolver at Nick, but Buffalo Bill put his rifle at the lion. One-Eyed Jack looked behind him and saw that they were in a stand-off. Deciding he didn't want to get involved, the grave robber turned around and continued to hit his head against the door.

Wild Bill Hickok looked at Buffalo Bill and spoke, "Even you, Cody?"

The giant buffalo responded, his voice rumbling. "I'm sorry, Hickok. I made a deal and you of all animals know that when I make a deal, I'm keeping it. You understand right?"

The dog nodded. "Of course, Cody. You were always my brother." The dog sighed and slowly turned around, his paws in the air. Looking at the bunny, the Sherriff spoke. "Loyalty… that's a quality I admire. Huh…" the Hickok started to stroke his mustache and was deep in thought. Several seconds passed, and the _thumping_ noise was broken by a laughter that was emitted by Hickok. "I'm startin' to like you, Hopps. I don't know if this was your plan after all, but if it was… that was clever!" He raised his paws and told the lion to lower his gun. Once he did, Buffalo Bill followed suit, slinging his fifty-caliber, bolt action rifle around his back. Only Judy and Bogo had their revolvers out.

The bunny looked past the Sheriff of Applehill and spoke, "Your turn, Bogo."

The Cape buffalo groaned and holstered his revolver. At the sight of that, she did the same. Finally, she looked back at Hickok and spoke, "We need Wilde. He's the bravest, loyal and dangerous animal I've ever met. And that's saying a lot. I married Wyatt, you know?"

Wild Bill sighed and looked at Buffalo Bill. The buffalo did not move, instead he spoke, "Hickok… I've said it before, and I'll say it again. I've only been in two battles with them, each one short, but…" he shook his head. "That Doc Wilde is a smart fox."

The dog looked back and forth between Buffalo Bill and Doc Wilde. The fox was looking on the ground with shame. Wild Bill tilted his head as he studied the animal. _This fox… he carries a dark past…_ The dog took a deep sigh and looked back at Buffalo Bill, and his friend slowly nodded. Finally, stroking his mustache, the dog nodded his head and spoke, "Red, let go of Wilde."

The dingo did so. Bogo opened his mouth to protest, but immediately shut it as Hickock casted a dangerous look on him. "Remember, Bogo." Hickok rumbled. "I'm the leader and this here, is my town. Whatever I say, goes."

Bogo nodded his head again and shut his mouth. But when Nick started to walk across, Bogo couldn't help but issue a warning, his voice deep and dangerous. "I'm keepin my eye on you, Wilde."

Not listening to the Cape buffalo, Nick stepped over the crumbled heap that was the wolf. As soon as he did, realization struck him and the fox looked back. The bright blue eyes of the wolf was the same… but the fur was different. This wolf was black, while Charlie Vane was silver. With that realization, Nick spoke, guilt and regret overcoming him. "That's not…"

"Vane." Judy spoke, her voice sharp and stern. "I know. Get over here, _now._" Doc obeyed her and stood next to the bunny. Judy took a deep breath and looked at Hickok. "He's not Vane and that's your mess. I will handle this fox. _He's _my mess." She looked at both Buffalo Bill and Jack. "Stay here! And please, _please_ do not screw anything up!" The bunny directed the last sentence at the jackrabbit. With that sentence, she reached up, grabbed the fox by the ear, and crudely dragged him forward.

Jack opened the door for the two, and once they stepped underneath the sunlight, Judy swung the gambler around her. She shook her head and cursed out loud. "What the flippin' _hell_ was that, Doc? You nearly got everyone killed in there!"

Nick looked at the ground with shame. "It was my mistake."

"Yeah. It was!" She pointed at the building and yelled, "Now I don't think Hickok'll join us anymore!" She threw her hands up with exasperation as she saw her chance for vengeance disappear before her very eyes. "You stupid fox. You owe me an explanation right now!"

Nick's shame disappeared as fury started to overcome him. He looked up immediately at the bunny and spoke, "I don't need to explain myself to you, darlin'!"

Judy scoffed and placed her paws at her hips. "You're gonna have to, Nick! Every night, you look at that flippin' pocket watch and sighing like a maiden." She shook her head. "Every time you do that, I'm afraid of the next day. I'm afraid that I won't live to see through it because of how lost you'd get. I mean, I'd thought that after everything we've been through the past several weeks…"

Nick snorted, cutting her from her thoughts. "You thought that I'd share everything about myself to you? Wake up, darlin'! You asked for my help to hunt down Callahan and that's what I'm doin'!"

"I asked you?" Judy spoke loudly. "I _asked _you? I believe that it was you who offered to help me!"

"And why does that give you the excuse to get into my business?" He shot back. "John Henry told me about all the questions you had for him in Tulare! He said you were askin' about Campbell and about my watch. I didn't tell you anything then, and I won't tell you anything _now!_ " He took a step closer, his emerald green eyes glowing with anger. "My life is my own, and you can keep your paws off of it!"

"Considering how badly you screwed this up." She spoke, pointing at the Sherriff building. "I don't want to be involved in it anymore!"

"Good! And you know what, darlin? This ain't the farm anymore where you can be happy and free! This is the real life!"

"That's right! But at least I have a home and kids to provide for!"

"And you think I didn't?" His normal, bright, emerald eyes further darkened. "I _had _a home, Judy! But you don't get what it's like to be a fox in this world! We are the most distrusted animal! You saw how Bogo and Hickok treated me! Now imagine that attitude everywhere you go!" Nick suddenly stopped, taking a deep breath to control his fury and frustration. He turned around and looked across town. Pedestrians had heard their argument and had stopped to watch them fight. When they realized that the fox had stopped talking, they immediately turned around and resumed their day.

Finally, Nick spoke, "You want to know why I wandered?" He asked, his voice cracking. "I was thirteen when I left, that's true. I was also an apprentice to a dentist, that's true too. But I was livin' with my folks at that time. One night, my parents and I were asleep when fox-fearing scum broke into my home and murdered them." He sighed, and continued, "I escaped." He shook his head as anger crept back into his voice. "That's why, Hopps! I can't ever settle down out of fear that someone's going to break into my room and blow my brains out!"

Judy snorted, unable to resist the urge to drive the emotional knife in further. "You don't think I had it hard, Doc? You don't even know the years that I went through to scrounge for food to put on the table! I had three hungry mouths to feed and you don't understand that! You don't even have kids _yourself!"_ As soon as she said those words, the bunny immediately wished that she could take them back.

Nick's ears drooped lower, and a silence passed between them. With a low voice the fox spoke, "You're right. I don't have one." He shifted his revolver in his holster before continuing, "At least you have two."

He took his hat off and shook his head sadly. He opened his mouth to continue his thought, but then he decided against it. Putting his hat back on, he looked at the bunny and spoke, "I offered my help to bring down Callahan. That's what I'm going to do." He walked towards the bunny, and stopped when he reached next to her. The fox looked sideways and spoke, his voice low and laced with pain. "Then you don't ever have to see me again."

"Nick…" Judy spoke, her heart breaking. She hated this feeling. The bunny was enjoying their friendship and cherished the fox's company, but she knew that she ruined it by speaking a sentence that she knew she shouldn't have.

The gambler ignored her and left. He stepped up on the deck and without looking back, he spoke, "We had a good thing." He turned his attention to the door, opened it and stepped inside. As she watched, Judy sighed, turned around and watched Applehill move with life. A couple of minutes passed, and the bunny turned around and started to walk back to the Sherriff's station. _I need to make up for this…_ she thought to herself.

Once she stepped inside, she was surprised to see the fox shaking hands with the Jack Russell terrier. One-Eyed Jack was sitting on top of the desk to her right, and back in the corner, Buffalo Bill Cody beamed. "My apologies, Mister Hickok." Nick spoke with his signature southern drawl. "I hope you can forgive my actions. I have definitely been out of turn and I will do my best to stay out of y'all's way. Also, I hope that you can reconsider our wager. Judy's a good bunny, and she will do everything in her power to bring down Callahan. You have my word." Nick shrugged. "Although, I don't know how much that will amount to."

Wild Bill Hickok grunted, and raised an eyebrow. "As of now, your word isn't worth much." The dog sighed. "But the fact of the matter is that I need all the help I can get transportin… whoever he is. He was with the Bloodhounds and that's all the evidence I need."

Judy folded her arms. "Alright, Hickok. What's the plan?"

Stroking his mustache, Wild Bill responded, "Well, Springfield's several days ride from here. I figure that we can go to Bull Run, stay the night, and then continue on our way. There's not a direct path from here to Springfield. But I've got a problem. The train leaves for Wolf Spring in four days. It'll take us five to get there." The dog looked around the room. "Does anyone have any other ideas?"

Silence reigned the room, save for the sound of the grave robber giggling to himself as his mind wandered elsewhere. Finally, Judy broke the silence and said, "Well… I've an idea."

As soon as she said it, all eyes in the room was on her. As the bunny looked at each animal, she saw that they all had expectant looks on their faces, save for one. Nick Wilde was leaning against the left wall, next to the deputies, his eyes, void of emotion, and his jaw set. His arms was folded, and his tail did not move. It was then that Judy found herself wishing that she could see the signature half-smile by her partner, but her suspicion was starting to be confirmed. Nick did not want to have anything to do with her anymore.

"My farm's between here and Bull Run. We can stop there and leave after half a day. Then we can go through Miner's Gulch and reach Springfield in time… Hopefully."

"Miner's Gulch?" A voice spoke. That was Red. "That area's full of bandits!"

Judy nodded her head. "I know. I never said that it was going to be easy. But the fact of the matter is that it's going to save us a day or two."

Wild Bill Hickok looked at his friend, Buffalo Bill. The giant buffalo shrugged and rumbled. "Sounds good to me."

The dog turned and looked at the fox. "And what about you Wilde? Do you have an opinion? I only ask because everybody here seems to respect you."

Bogo snorted at the statement, and at the sound of the Cape buffalo, Nick stepped forward. "Whatever."

Hickok nodded. "Alright. If we leave late tonight, we can arrive at your farm…"

"Around midmorning." Judy finished. At that sentence the Sherriff nodded again. "Get some rest. We have some cots in the room next to the cells downstairs." He pulled out his golden pocket watch and checked the time. "We leave in three hours."

Sounds of furniture moving cut across, as the deputies got up. Smacking his friend in the back, Buffalo Bill nodded, smiling and disappeared behind the hallway. One-Eyed Jack looked around the room, shook his head and spoke to nobody, "I ain't sleepin in here." With that, he turned and ran outside.

Judy turned her attention towards the fox. She had half-expected him to approach her out of habit. Her heart raced when Doc shifted his gun belt and took a step forward and stood in front of the bunny. But disappointment crashed over her when he spoke, "Excuse me."

The bunny nodded and stepped aside. The fox moved past her, opened the door and went outside into the afternoon sun. Once he did, the fox shook his head, stretching his neck, and stepped off the deck. When they were in Bull Run, the fox had forgotten to resupply on ammo, and now he needed to find a gunsmith. Once his boots hit the dirt, he started to whistle, hoping that the jaunty tune would cheer him up.

It didn't. Doc arrived at the intersection and looked around, his hat providing his eyes some relief from the sun. A brown building directly ahead of him caught his eye, and he squinted to read the sign. After being satisfied that it was the gunsmith, the gambler continued his walk. Out of habit, his paws reached into his vest pockets, and his left one hit the pocket watch.

Once it made contact, Nick sighed to himself. The argument reappeared in his mind. _You don't even have kids yourself! _Judy's voice echoed through his mind. The pain flashed through his left shoulder and the fox subconsciously grimaced. _Only if you knew, darlin'. Only if you knew. _He wanted to tell Judy, and was about to when the argument happened.

He nodded to himself. "I'm only here to take down Callahan and Vane. That's it. I don't ever have to see her again."

As soon as he said the last sentence, his heart knew that it was a lie. After Callahan and Vane, the fox wanted to be with the bunny. Judy was unlike the other women that he had met. There was something special about her, and it was that uniqueness that caused Nick to want to _be _with her. He sighed and shook his head. "That will never happen. Not after that argument." He muttered to himself. With that thought, he continued his walk to the gunsmith.

Back inside the Sherriff's station, the room was empty, save for Judy. She tiredly sat down on the chair that a deputy owned. Several mintues later, pawsteps could be heard coming up the stairs, and Buffalo Bill Cody peeked his head around the hallway. Seeing the bunny alone, the giant buffalo walked forward, placed his paws on his hips and spoke, "What was all that outside?"

Judy looked up. "You heard it?"

The buffalo snorted. "Everyone did."

The bunny sighed and shook her head. "It was just a spat. I said something that I shouldn't have and I don't know how to apologize."

Buffalo Bill Cody stroked his beard. "Well, Judy… I'm no expert in this sort of thing, but I'd say that there's somethin' about this whole thing that involves Doc. I mean, you saw how he nearly killed the wolf, thinkin' that he was Charles Vane. Somethin's going on, and he will tell you when he's ready."

"But I don't want to wait!" Judy protested. "I'm afraid that his anger… vendetta or thirst for revenge will get us killed."

"You're gonna have to, and you're gonna have to trust him." The giant buffalo placed his paw on the bunny's shoulder and gave her a knowing look. Several seconds of silence passed, and Judy took a deep breath, and nodded. With that, Buffalo Bill turned around and disappeared behind the wall. As Judy watched the giant buffalo go, she sighed and placed her paws in her face. Rubbing it tiredly, the image of the fox appeared in her mind, his emerald eyes glowing slyly, followed by a half-smile. His voice echoed through her mind, _Then you don't ever have to see me again._

She sighed again, and shook her head, hoping that the fox didn't believe his words. Unknown to her, Nick was across town, mulling over that predicament at the very same time.

/

_Judy's Farm – Between Bull Run, Apple Hill and Springfield_

The morning sun was starting to appear over the horizon, as Judy Hopps and Nicholas "Doc" Wilde sat on their horses and looked down into the small valley below. Her home was a speck in the distance, but it did nothing to stop Judy's as it raced with excitement and anticipation at the thought of seeing Henny and her boys again. She had pulled ahead from Doc, and once she reached the top of the hill, she was rewarded with the sight of a candlelight, glowing through the window. She patted Breeze and smiled broadly. "We're home." She whispered to herself. "Not for long… but we're home."

For the past three and half weeks, this was the morning that she was waiting for. At the Sherriff's station, the bunny could not fall asleep out of excitement. All around her, the animals snored, but Judy remained on her back, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. She immediately jumped out of the bed, and grabbed her hat, when James Butler "Wild Bill" Hickok announced that it was time to go. When she placed on her hat, William "Buffalo Bill" Cody spoke, his voice rumbling with amusement. "Someone's excited."

At that sentence, Judy turned around, "Do you have children, Buffalo Bill?"

The buffalo shook his head, causing the bunny to respond with a smile. "You should, then you'll know the feeling."

Cody opened his mouth to answer, but Hickok jumped in. "That's only if he can find someone who can tolerate his ugly face!"

The buffalo roared indignantly at his friend's joke. "Come here, Hickok, and I'll show you who the real ugly animal is!"

Hickok fled the room, noise of his paws disappearing as the Sheriff ran up the stairs. Judy rolled her eyes and followed the dog. Once she reached the top, she walked down the small hallway and turned to her left. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Nicholas "Doc" Wilde leaning backwards in Hickok's chair with his feet on the table. In front of him, One-Eyed Jack was flipping a hunting knife.

"Doc…" Judy started, then looked at Jack. "Where did you get that?"

"This thing?" Jack asked innocently. "I've always had it."

"Jack…"

The jackrabbit threw his hands up. "Alright, alright if you must know… I…erm." He paused, his mind racing. "I _redeemed…_" he giggled. "That's the word! I _redeemed _it from a sleeping animal."

Doc spoke from underneath his cowboy hat. "He stole it from a drunk animal. I saw him do it."

Jack glared at the gambler, who was trying to hide his smile. "Yore no fun, Wilde!"

The fox took off his hat and placed it back on his head. He turned his attention to the bunny and spoke, "I can't afford to be fun anymore." With that, he stood up and dusted his pants off. "I'm going to check on Midnight."

As soon as the fox stepped outside, Jack rolled his one good eye. "Sheesh… what's going on with him?"

Not stopping herself, Judy spoke, "We had an argument."

"An argument, eh?" Jack was up on his feet in a flash. He shuffled closer and spoke, licking his lips. "Like a… lovers' quarrel or somthin'?

The bunny looked at the rabbit and shook her head. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Bah! Every animal within thirty miles could see that you've got a thing for him!" He immediately smiled and moved even closer. "But if that ship's sailed…" he left the thought hanging.

Judy shook her head and pushed the rabbit away from her. Jack fell back on the floor giggling insanely. "You know you can't resist me marm!"

"I'd rather date a rotting corpse than you!" Judy called back.

Jack laughed loudly, his voice screeching. "Wrong choice of words marm! Have you smelled me lately?" He continued to laugh, when he saw the bunny shudder.

A couple of minutes later, the door opened and Nick stepped inside the building. Saying nothing, he took his hat off, placed it on the table and nodded his head. "All our horses' good and ready to go."

As soon as he said that sentence, the wolf appeared, with Wild Bill Hickok's paw on his shoulder. The dog had his Colt Navy revolver drawn and trained on his back. When he entered the room, Sherriff Bogo, Buffalo Bill Cody and the two deputies followed. Wild Bill nodded his shaggy head at Judy and spoke, "I believe we're about ready to go, ma'am."

Judy smiled and responded. "If it's alright with you, I have a suggestion."

"Shoot."

"We leave one of our own here to make sure that Callahan's not comin' back for this wolf. We all know that it goes against his reputation, but you're a cautious dog. Since this un's been captured, Callahan certainly knows about it, which means he knows that he's bein' held here." Judy spread her paws wide to make a point, "So we leave someone here who can warn us when they see the wolves."

Hickok stroked his mustache, and Nick had to stop himself from beaming with pride. It was a sound plan and certainly plays with Wild Bill's characteristics. The fox looked at the bunny with new admiration. She knew how to read an animal and make deals that would benefit the both of them. At that thought, he felt the edges of his mouth curl upwards, but immediately stopped when he reminded himself that he was supposed to be mad at the bunny. So his smile disappeared as soon as it happened. Thankfully, Judy didn't notice it.

"Hmmm…" Wild Bill looked sideways at both Bogo and Cody. Finally, he nodded his head. "That's a good idea, Miss Hopps. Who do you want to leave here?"

"Jack." Judy said immediately. As soon as she said it, all the animals looked at the rabbit. The one-eyed grave robber looked at all of them and moaned with despair. "But… But I wanna go see her hoooome!"

"Who's in agreement?" Buffalo Bill Cody grunted. He raised his paw.

Jack sighed and nodded his head as all the other paws in the room was raised. "I guess I'll just stay around and… I don't know, come chasin' after you if there are wolves to be seen." His shoulders drooped and his ears fell flat. "No one appreciates me…"

"That's not true…" Doc Wilde spoke, his southern drawl evident in his words. "That's why Ju…" He stopped himself and corrected. "Ms Hopps, here, wanted to leave you. You've survived all these years and you know how to make yourself invisible. There is not one animal in this room that is more qualified than you on this job."

Jack's one good eye looked the fox up and down, then muttered, "I know yore tryin, to butter me up, Wilde. But you're right. There's no one better at being invisible than me." He cackled, turned around and went out of the door.

Judy sighed and shook her head, not revealing that she was hurt by Doc's correction with him not calling her by her first name, the bunny realized that it was all business with the fox now. She looked at the fox and mouthed, _Thank you._

Wilde raised an eyebrow, saying nothing and turned his attention back to the Sherriff. Wild Bill Hickok pushed the wolf through the small room and out of the door, with the small group in tow, Doc Wilde bringing up the rear. The full moon was in the sky, causing the whole town to be illuminated in a silvery glow. A calm breeze ruffled each animal's fur and as soon as it did, Sherriff Bogo immediately looked up in the sky and sniffed. "Smells like rain… Possibly coming from the north."

Wild Bill Hickok grunted. "Too bad, we're going to miss it." He forced the wolf down on his knees, then on his stomach. Hickok grabbed his rope from his horse and proceeded to tie his hands and legs together. When he was done, Buffalo Bill Cody then picked him up and placed him on the back of the horse, ignoring the small howl of pain that was emitted from the lupine due to his rib. The giant buffalo beamed, "It's gonna be an uncomfortable ride for you, laddie. I'd suggest that you get used to it, real quick."

The wolf snarled in response, but said nothing. Buffalo Bill climbed up onto his horse, and after he pulled his animal away from the hitching post, he turned and looked, making sure that the wolf was still there. After being satisfied that the wolf was still secured, Buffalo Bill nodded at his friend.

Wild Bill Hickok looked at Judy and spoke, "Well, ma'am. Let's see your home and family, shall we?"

As soon as Wild Bill Hickok uttered the sentence, Judy turned Breeze around and went through the town. A couple of seconds later, she found herself galloping across the plains in a southerly direction, before turning south-west towards her farm.

At midnight, Hickok called for a stop, but after traveling for a few more miles, they found a small spring. They unloaded their horses and Hickok called for a thirty minute break. All the animals laid on the grass, grateful for some rest after several hours of riding. As soon as the horses were eating grass or drinking from the small spring that was in the desert, Judy closed her eyes, waiting for slumber to take over. She was asleep for a couple of seconds, and was awakened by the black furred Jack Russel Terrier. Wild Bill grunted and spoke, "I think you and someone else should go ahead to your farm and make sure that it's ready for our arrival." He stroked his mustache, his other paw behind his back. "Are you in disagreement, Ms Hopps?"

Judy shook her head and spoke, "With pleasure. If I leave after our break and take one more, I could reach my farm by dawn." She nodded in the direction of the lupine, still hogtied, but lying on the grass. "But we made good time here. You'll still reach my farm by mid-morning. Bogo can show you the way, right Bogo?" She directed the question towards the Cape buffalo who was within earshot. The buffalo nodded his head.

The bunny turned her attention towards Buffalo Bill. "'Ey Cody! Want to be the first one to see my farm?"

She was disappointed, but secretly happy when the giant buffalo responded, shaking his head. "I can't. My horse is the only one who can carry this giant hunk of turd." He looked at the wolf on the ground, then back at her. "Take Doc with you."

At that statement, the bunny casted a glance at Wilde. The fox was listening to the whole conversation on his back. He didn't say anything, instead he raised a thumb as a response.

The thirty minute break flew by quickly. At Wild Bill Hickok's command, everyone mounted their horses. Judy urged Breeze forward until she was next to the dog. She nodded, "I'll be sure to have lunch ready for you."

Hickok smiled, took his hat off with thanks and spoke, "I look forward to it, Ms Hopps."

She looked to her right at the gambler. "Ready?"

Nick didn't say a word, but nodded. With that response, Judy urged Breeze forward, and the horse took off, happy to be running with her owner. As the wind whooshed through her fur, the bunny could not help but laugh loudly, as her excitement increased with each passing minute.

Following her, but out of sight, Nick Wilde smiled to himself. He was happy to see the bunny so joyful. With each passing minute of riding, Wilde could feel his anger slowly disappearing as he watched the bunny's figure glow underneath the moonlight and was struck by how beautiful she was. His mind wandered for a second, lingering on the memory of the hotel room incident. He smiled to himself, as her fur glowed underneath the moonlight, and her silhouette was illuminated. It was contrasted by the approaching dawn of the new day. As Midnight raced after Breeze, the fox leaned forward and whispered into the horse's ear, "Let's catch up to them."

Midnight neighed in response and within a couple of seconds, matched Breeze's pace. They raced across the dusty plains, and as they did, the head of sun peaked from behind the horizon, the orangey glow giving a bit of light to the otherwise dark land. As soon as Judy saw the dry hill leading to her farm, she urged her horse to go faster. Breeze neighed loudly and took off like an arrow. Not acting on Nick's command, Midnight pushed himself even harder, and they climbed up the hill. Once they reached the top, both horses stopped immediately, panting with exertion and immediately looked at each other.

_I won!_ Breeze nickered, shaking her head.

Midnight snorted. _I didn't realize this was a race_, he seemed to be saying. _If it was, then I definitely won._

_You're joking right? _Breeze responded, her eyebrow arching upwards slowly. _I left you in the dust!_

The black horse winked. _Maybe I let you win._

At that statement, Judy felt her horse take a step sideways, as Breeze touched Midnight with her muzzle. But she ignored it, keeping her attention at the farm. She then patted Breeze's neck and smiled broadly, "We're home… not for long, but we're home." With that sentence, she looked sideways at the fox and spoke, "Let's go."

Nick didn't respond. Instead he grunted with tiredness and nodded his head. The bunny and the fox made their way down the small path that circled the hill. As they got closer and closer, Nick's heart became heavier and heavier with pain. The brown building in the distance became clearer, and suddenly, the sound of a child giggling cut across his mind. Hiding his face from Judy, Nick quickly wiped the tears that were forming in his eyes, as his vest pocket became heavier, the pocket watch, a symbol of his guilt and shame, weighing him down. The gambler cleared his throat and shook his head, _she doesn't need to know, _he thought looking at the farmer. Pushing the thought of his past out of his mind, the fox continued to follow Judy, who was beaming with joy with each step that they took.

Once they reached the bottom, Nick noticed the large pile of burnt wood. Remembering Judy's story, Nick spoke, "The bandits?"

Judy looked at what he was talking about and nodded her head wordlessly. She turned her attention back to the farmhouse and was smiling proudly. Around the house, a makeshift hitching post could be seen, with troughs lining each post. All of her horses were tied to each post, except for a few that was still empty. The posts that were full, lined the front of the house and the left side of it. Judy navigated Breeze around the house until she was in the back and was pleased to see that there were several empty posts.

_Morgan and Samuel musta made these…. Such good boys_.

She pulled Breeze towards a post, jumped off her horse and tied the reigns, securing her. After making sure that the water trough was full, Nick did the same for Midnight, except he navigated the black horse closer to the back door. As soon as the fox tied the reigns to the post, the door opened immediately with a thud.

A young male bunny, no more than fifteen years old stepped outside, cocking a rifle, and took aim at the fox. He wore a brown hat, with a red and white plaid shirt, underneath blue overalls. On his feet were brown work boots, and the bunny raised his rifle to his eye and spoke with a snarl. "Be gone, stranger! There's nothing for you here!"

Nick raised his paws up and spoke, "Son, you don't know me, but you know someone here." He gestured to his right with his head, his paws still raised in the air. At the sound of his voice, Judy quickly scampered around Breeze and Midnight, before looking at her son. "Morgan!" She squeaked with joy, her arms spread wide.

Morgan beamed. "Mom!" He slung the rifle around his shoulder and took a step forward. They embraced for several seconds. During their embrace, Nick watched, smiling softly to himself, the same image of the young red furred fox flashing in his mind. _It's been a while since I was hugged by her…_

With that thought in his mind, the fox awkwardly placed his paws on his revolvers and looked around. Finally, he spoke, "You've got good property here."

Judy let go of her son and spoke, "Morgan. This is Nick Wilde. Call him Doc. Everyone does."

Morgan looked at the fox and nodded his head. "Pleasure to meet you Doc." He raised a paw out and spoke, "Morgan Hopps. I see you've already met my mother." He gave a half-smile.

Nick was taken aback at the politeness of the young bunny. He returned the half-smile and spoke, "Pleasure's mine, Morgan. Your mother talk about you all the time." He returned the handshake. As soon as they let go of each other, Morgan looked back at his mother and asked, "Is it done? Are you home?"

Judy sighed and shook her head. "No. We still have more to do, but Doc's here to help."

"Then what're you doing here?"

"Getting the farm ready. We're having guests this afternoon."

Morgan nodded. "Okay… Well, Henny and Samuel's inside. I'd better get back to doin' the chores."

Judy stopped her son from leaving. "You can miss the chores for one day. I haven't seen you for several weeks!"

The boy hesitated. "You sure, Mom?"

Judy nodded. "Get back in there, honey." Morgan beamed and obeyed. He turned around and pushed the door open. As soon as he stepped inside, he placed his rifle, leaning it on the wall next to the door and yelled, "Henny! Samuel! Mom's home!"

The bunny heard a squeal of delight from the kitchen. As soon as she stepped into the living room, Henny ran around the corner, with an even younger bunny in tow. Henny threw her wings around the farmer and spoke, "You're home! I'm so happy!"

The hen let go and looked sideways at the fox. "And you've brought someone?" She raised an eyebrow.

For the first time since their argument, Doc chuckled and spoke, "I'm not that kind of fox, ma'am," his southern drawl heavier than usual. "The name's Doc."

At the sound of the name, Henny nodded immediately. "The fox that Judy's been talking about!" She clucked loudly. "You're even more handsome in animal!"

Doc's eyebrow arched upwards as he looked at the bunny. She was hugging and talking to a younger bunny. At the sound of Henny's statement, the bunny stood up, her face beet red, and she spoke, "I may have mentioned you in my letter home."

"All good things, I hope?"

Henny clucked happily. "Of course, Doc Wilde! Welcome to our home! You've met Morgan, and this one here's Samuel."

The fox looked downwards at the eight year old bunny, dressed in nothing but overalls, his white fur showing. The bunny reached out a paw and the fox shook it, his heart twanging with pain. _She would have been his age by now._

As soon as they let go of each other, Henny spoke, "Well, you two have arrived just in time. Breakfast is ready and I made my famous blueberry pie!"

Judy beamed, and looked at Nick. She was taken aback when she saw that his eyes were misting. The fox opened his mouth to respond, but before he did, he was attacked with a fit of coughing. Henny took a step forward with concern, but stopped in her tracks when she saw Judy shake her head. It took a few minutes for Nick to stop coughing. The fox then straightened himself and spoke, "I'd love some blueberry pie, Henny."

"And some tea, too!" Henny clucked.

Nick shook his head. "That's not nece…"

He was cut off by the mother hen's stern look. "You will have some tea, Mister Wilde! No arguments!"

The fox took his hat off and nodded his head. "Blueberry pie and some tea, then." The fox spoke, his heart a mix of joy and pain. Joy because he could see and feel the love reverberating from each creature for Judy. Pain because the fox knew that he would never feel that same feeling ever again.

He took a step forward, and as he did, he couldn't help but think back. _I miss you…_

/

_Applehill_

It was noon when they arrived at the town. As soon as they did, the group of fourteen wolves immediately spread out and started to search for any clues regarding the whereabouts of their comrades. Before entering the town, Charles Vane had given explicit directions that they only had ten minutes to figure out where the Sherriff was and whether he still had Scorpion. After that instruction, Vane led his group into Applehill, the wolves thundering up the streets. Unlike his comrades, the silver-furred wolf navigated his horse to a hitching post in front of a dark red building, the sign reading "Bucking Bronco."

After tying the reigns to the post, the wolf stepped up on the wooden deck and stomped his boots, the dirt flying off of them. The wolf then took a step forward, and pushed the saloon doors open. The mixture of chattering, piano music and singing reached his ears, but it did nothing to help his mood. After the door swung shut behind him, Vane pulled out his revolver and shot it in the air.

The saloon was silent, every eyes on the wolf. "Right!" Vane bellowed. "Everyone… out of here! Except for you." He nodded in the direction of the barkeep, a giant lizard. The wolf shot in the air again. At the second gunshot, every animal in the saloon scrambled out of their chairs and ran, pushing each other out of the way, through the saloon doors and outside.

Vane holstered his pistol and shook his head, his silver fur gleaming with sweat underneath the light. He took a couple of steps, his long stride allowing him to cover the room. Arriving at the bar, Vane pulled out several dollars and slapped them on the counter. "I need information."

The lizard swallowed nervously. He took the dollars and pocketed them in his apron. "What do you need?" he hissed.

"Where's the Sherriff of this here town?"

"Out."

Vane growled at the one worded answer. "Out where, lizard? _Where?_"

The lizard jumped with fright. "I heard that he was going to Springfield." He shrugged. "All the deputies are with him!"

"All the deputies? Why?"

"How should I know? They don't tell anybody anything!"

Vane stopped talking, his mind racing. _If the deputies are with him… that must mean Scorpion is still alive…_ The wolf smiled an evil smile. He nodded his head and spoke, "My apologies for my behavior. I'm in need of the Sherriff and I am in a hurry. How long ago did he leave?"

"Last night."

The wolf nodded his thanks, turned around and took a step forward. As soon as he did, a thought struck him. The lupine looked back and said. "You said Springfield right?" As soon as the lizard nodded, the wolf continued, "To get there, you'd go south into Bull Run then west?"

"You would, sir. But…" the lizard shrugged. "I hear they went southwest instead."

"Southwest?" Vane muttered to himself. "Why would they go southwest?" With that question in mind, he turned around and left the bar. As soon as he stepped outside, he was pleased to see that his crew had gathered back. But after taking a head count, the wolf snarled. There was thirteen wolves, instead of fourteen! Vane quickly looked around and spoke, "Where's Icetooth?"

The wolves looked at each other and shrugged. Vane snarled again and shook his head. "We don't have time for this. Load up, boys! We've got a ride ahead of us." Within a few minutes later, the wolves were thundering across the plains, heading in a southwest direction. Behind them, Applehill grew smaller and smaller, the further they got.

Within the shade of the alleyway, the body of Icetooth laid, a victim to a knife plunge. In his search for information, the wolf had decided to take a shortcut through the alley and enter the street. As soon as he did, he heard a noise from above and looked up. The last thing he saw was a one-eyed rabbit!

One-Eyed Jack giggled evilly. He saw Vane enter the town from the saloon and heard his conversation with the barkeep. As soon as he left the saloon, he took a quick look at their horses, and noted that all the horses were tired. With that in mind, Jack had climbed up the building and waited for a prey to enter.

He prodded the body with his knife once more, making sure that he was dead. Jack nodded to himself, cackling insanely. With that, he got to work.

Several hours later, his belly full and the sun was replaced with the moon. Jack climbed up on his horse and urged him forward. Within a couple of minutes, he was trailing the group of wolves, knowing that they had to stop for the night. Jack patted his horse and nodded. "You can keep this pace all the way, can you?"

The horse nickered in response, and with that answer, Jack continued on his way to Judy's farm.


End file.
